In that sense, we have come full circle. Trump’s 2016 campaign was a font of humor, even after he won the Republican nomination (because, of course, he could not possibly defeat Hillary Clinton!). It was only after his shocking victory, and especially after he took office and began trying to implement all of the horrific ideas he has spouted on the campaign trail, that the #Resistance took hold and the joker politician wasn’t so funny anymore. But now, it has become socially acceptable once again to find humor in Trump.
There’s a risk of overinterpreting the rapid spread of this bizarre dance, which is, like so much that Trump says or does, dumb and devoid of substance. I suppose one could write at great length about what Trump’s herky-jerky movements, performed during a famous gay anthem, say about right-wing masculinity. But he’s really just squirming like an idiot.
Does it mean something, though, when Christian Pulisic does it? Perhaps it was an act of profound catharsis for an athlete who has spent nearly a decade hiding his deep and abiding love for Trump. But I mostly believe Pulisic when he insists he didn’t really mean anything by it and just thinks that it’s “funny.” For one thing, it is kind of funny. For another, the dance is truly a viral trend. Over the weekend, Pulisic saw a number of his fellow athletes break into the dance, so he did it too.
