TrumpMania: Vince McMahon, WWE and the Making of America’s 45th President by Lavie Margolin, H. Delilah Business & Career Press (2018)
TrumpMania looks at the connections between Vince McMahon and the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump. Lavie Margolin‘s recent release is an interesting read into the mutually beneficial relationship between the CEO and chairman of the WWE and the business mogul (turn reality television star, turn political figure).
The subject of the book is more than unique. Wrestling fans know about Trump’s history with the WWE. He is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame, after all. But how many of those fans have considered how that relationship has influenced Trump’s rise to the most powerful position in the US? Margolin is thorough throughout his telling of several key events and storylines. Some lesser-known tidbits were, at times, even more interesting than watching everything come together. The role Trump played in the rise of MMA and the UFC is something often overlooked. His partnerships with Affliction and his failed albeit brief foray into basketball were facts that this reviewer was unaware of.
Giving context to who everyone is within the context of that particular story will aid non-wrestling fans, and the “Where Are They Now” appendix is undoubtedly helpful. The world of professional wrestling is a fitting backdrop for the current political climate. Margolin stays neutral during his retelling of the events that have played out since WrestleMania IV. In the thirty years since the first WrestleMania that The Donald could add to the Trump legacy in combat sports, there have been seven major events involving the relationship between the McMahons and the Trumps. Margolin is careful to give each major step along the way an individual chapter.
It is undeniable that Trump has been a key player for the WWE in those thirty years. That isn’t to say there haven’t been lowlights. For every positive like the Battle of the Billionaires, there were negatives like the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. For every assist in securing a venue, there was a Hulk Hogan promo concerned about the fault lines near Trump branded buildings. Now that Linda McMahon has a position in Trump’s cabinet, the relationship between the two families is even more complicated. The book navigates the timeline of these events with skill.
Lavie Margolin provides an entertaining look at the intersection of the circus-like worlds of modern politics and professional wrestling. If you’re a fan of either, you owe it to yourself to read TrumpMania.
