How Wrestling Ruined Politics Forever (BONUS)
From How Is This Better? by COURIER
June 5, 2026 · 40 min
About this episode
This episode explores how professional wrestling has influenced modern political culture through a conversation between Akilah Hughes and Dave Schilling.
Long before Donald Trump entered politics, he understood professional wrestling. In this bonus conversation from How Is This Better?, Akilah Hughes sits down with writer and former WWE writer Dave Schilling to unpack how wrestling became a blueprint for modern political culture. From Trump’s relationship with Vince McMahon to the rise of political "heels," they explore why voters connect more with characters than policies, why Democrats struggle to create compelling narratives, and what professional wrestling can teach us about charisma, authenticity, and power. Drawing on his experience inside WWE's writers room, Dave explains how stars are built, how audiences become emotionally invested in underdogs, and why today's politicians often resemble wrestlers more than public servants. If politics feels more like entertainment than ever before, this conversation might explain why. Moments from this conversation, and others, appeared in our episode Politics is Wrestling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
People in this episode
Host: Akilah Hughes
Guest: Dave Schilling
Topics covered
- politics
- professional wrestling
- narratives
- charisma
- entertainment
- culture
Keywords
- wrestling
- politics
- Trump
- WWE
- narratives
- charisma
- entertainment
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: WWE, Vince McMahon
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