Trump’s Politics Aside, Do We Want a President With Pop-Culture References This Old?

Musk’s Denial • Kamala’s Comedians • J.J.’s Ringing Endorsement [View in your browser]( | [Update your preferences](newsletter=vf) [Vanity Fair Hive logo image]( Trump’s Politics Aside, Do We Want a President With Pop-Culture References This Old? Good morning. Much has been made about Donald Trump’s antiquated politics. But given last week’s Republican National Convention, [writes]( Julie Miller, his handle on US pop culture seems just as out-of-date. The former president subjected attendees to a live performance of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA,” another baffling allusion to Hannibal Lecter, and even a bizarre speech by Hulk Hogan. “It seems like time to ask whether we want to entrust our nation, again, to a person whose pop-culture references are put-him-in-a-home old and unintelligible,” writes Miller. Elsewhere, Eric Lutz [catches]( Elon Musk throwing cold water on reports of his promise to contribute $45 million a month to the Trump campaign, while Rebecca Ford [remarks]( on the long line of Kamala Harris impersonators waiting in the wings. Plus, with KHive more abuzz than ever, now’s a good time to revisit J.J. Abrams’s [testament]( to the Democratic candidate’s star power, which spans back to her tenure as California’s attorney general. Thanks for reading. [Image may contain: Donald Trump, Sylvester Stallone, Anthony Hopkins, Hulk Hogan, Whoopi Goldberg, and Jennifer Aniston]( [Trump’s Politics Aside, Do We Want a President With Pop-Culture References This Old?]( By [Julie Miller]( [“The late, great Hannibal Lecter. He’s a wonderful man.” “Nobody could moonwalk like Michael Jackson.” Now that Biden is out of the race, please consider that these are actual statements Trump has used on the campaign trail.]( [Read more button](   [Surprise: Elon Musk Says Isn’t Actually Donating $45 Million a Month to Trump]( By [Eric Lutz]( [The billionaire CEO, no beacon of truth himself, called media reports of his promised political contributions “not true.”]( [Read more button](   [Kamala Harris Impersonators Didn’t Just Fall Out of a Coconut Tree]( By [Rebecca Ford]( [A handful of comedians already have the VP’s cadence and laughter just right—and could see their cachet grow as the presidential race heats up.]( [Read more button](   [Kamala Harris]( By [J.J. Abrams]( [As California’s attorney general she fought banks to win an estimated $20 billion settlement for the state’s mortgage-fraud victims. And, as President Obama could tell you, she has movie-star looks. J.J. Abrams swears she’s the real thing.]( [Read more button](   Get on the list Subscribe to our Hollywood newsletter for your essential industry and awards-season news, every day. [Sign Up Now](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn](   This e-mail was sent to you by The Hive. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, vanityfair@newsletter.vf.com, to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( Sent from Condé Nast, 1 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007 Copyright © 2024 Condé Nast