Published on July 2, 2024, 12:38 am

When historical accounts examine the past, a surprising link may be drawn between the worldwide beloved 90s sitcom “Seinfeld”, notorious for its humorous views on everyday life in New York City, and the political ascendency of Donald Trump, now a prominent presidential candidate also rooted in NYC. A lightbulb moment sparked during 2024’s presidential debate when Trump uttered an intriguing statement about Joe Biden, inciting comparison to a well-remembered character from the Seinfeld universe.

“Like a Palestinian,” was Trump’s description of Biden during foreign policy discussions. It cannot be missed that this is an attempt at portraying Biden as taking Palestinian Arab’s side (and by association, other anti-Semitics’) against Jews. In addition, he painted Biden as weak; someone who appeases international adversarial actors only to gain their contempt in response due to his supposed weakness. This theme runs parallel with Palestinians and other anti-Semitics’ dynamics— another point made clear by Trump, who argued this stance powerfully for his audience.

These sentiments hold water regarding Biden’s actions with Israeli citizens—who are strong US allies—and his attempts to gain favor with the Democrat Party’s anti-Semitic subsections. However, the opinion formed of Biden doesn’t necessarily flow smoothly into convincing imagery.

Regardless, popularity for these nicknames is undeniable. This success draws a fascinating parallel between Trump and Alan from Seinfeld — specifically the episode titled “The Andrea Doria.” In this story arc Elaine ends up dating Alan but labels him as a “Bad Breaker-Upper” due to his knack of giving hurtful nicknames. Despite initially scoffing at being called “Big Head,” she ultimately becomes insecure when instances occur that appeared to prove it true—with a cab driver calling out her big head and even bird crashing into it.

By further connecting these stories, we see clearly how Trump’s silly yet fierce insults remind us strongly of Alan’s biting comments. Names like Sleepy Joe (Biden), Crazy Nancy (Pelosi), and Crooked Hillary (Clinton) have indeed hurt their targets and yet managed to catch on amongst the public, just as was true for Elaine and Alan’s story. His recognizable pattern of sneaking a punch with a nickname reflects an array of Trump Derangement Sufferers, suggesting that these insults have left an indelible mark on his political adversaries.

In summary, there’s something remarkably Seinfeld-esque about Trump’s way of dealing with his political rivals. Whether it be his ability to coin impactful nicknames or respond acutely in situations just like any New Yorker would do (or should do, according to Seinfeld episodes). It’s quite compelling then to conclude—the same way Alan claimed victory at the end by bagging the apartment—that Donald Trump might very well reclaim his condo, also known as the White House in 2024. A prime example showcasing how sometimes life imitates art, or more specifically—how a popular sitcom could somehow prepare the world for real news involving boiled down human behavior inside trusted news portals shaped by the Christian worldview.