Unlike politics, in the WrestleMania universe, everyone belongs

In what may very well be the most divisive time in modern American history, over the course of five days in Philadelphia, the birthplace of America, all of our political, religious, and cultural differences disappeared. They were replaced instead by a feeling of community, togetherness, and commonality as 145,290 members of the WWE universe descended on the City of Brotherly Love for WrestleMania XL.

Over the course of five days, I saw every demographic you can imagine: white, Black, Asian, Latino, upper-class, middle-class, working-class, moms, dads, grandparents, young adults, teenagers, and children come together in the spirit of openness, fun, hope, and belonging. The event drew fans from all 50 states and 64 countries — a level of diversity you don’t see with America’s other mega-event, the Super Bowl. This was more like the World Cup.

Anyone who has been a wrestling fan (I have been since the late ’80s) has undoubtedly been mocked for it at some point in life. And yet here, we were all part of the same club. It didn’t matter where we came from, what country we called home, what we looked like, or how we dressed. All that mattered was that we were there for the same reason.

It’s a place where you can walk down the street, yell “Acknowledge Me,” and watch a dozen strangers all point their index finger to the sky in tribute to the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns.

It’s an environment where you can be walking through a hotel lobby and hear someone say, “Whose game is it?” as anyone in earshot yells back, “L-A-Knight Yeah,” a nod to WWE’s current megastar.

It’s a convention center full of thousands and thousands of people proudly representing their favorite superstar with a T-shirt, hoodie, jacket, tattoo, and, of course, a championship belt (in partnership with Fanatics, merchandise sales reached an all-time high, up 20% from last year’s mania).

Everyone is welcome. Everyone belongs. There are no outsiders. No outcasts. No judgment. No division. As someone who has lived and worked in politics and media in Washington, D.C., since 2006, I have had a front-row seat to the complete implosion of national and political unity that has given way to this current moment of extreme tribalism. It was such a stark contrast leaving the Swamp for a week to experience this land of larger-than-life superheroes.

For the last seven years, I’ve watched so many political figures, consultants, power players, media figures, commentators, and prognosticators struggle to comprehend what is happening in our nation’s politics, and why.

I’ve always said, whether you think he’s a heel or a baby face, if you really want to understand how and why Donald Trump has done what he has done, simply tune in to Monday Night Raw or Smackdown on any given Monday or Friday night, and it should all make sense to you.

The same can be said for outside-the-box political personas like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. John Fetterman, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and others. Instead of the wrestling ring, they have the House and Senate floors.

After experiencing five days of WWE and WWE fans earlier this month, I’ve reached the conclusion that WWE is the modern-day American opera. Case in point: the American Nightmare Cody Rhodes’ multiyear odyssey to “finish the story” and dethrone the greatest champion in WWE history, Roman Reigns. WWE is long-form storytelling and drama at its very best. It effectively uses an arsenal of music, words, action sequences, and competition to get the audience to emotionally invest in the story of these heroes and villains.

The art of communication is the ability to motivate your target audience to be so invested in what you are saying and doing that you calibrate your own behavior to help you achieve a stated goal.

In politics, the goal is to get the target audience to engage, donate money, speak out, and vote. Anyone in politics interested in studying the art of persuasion through the use of words needs to study the art of the promo via the greatest to ever do it, and the newest member of the WWE Hall of Fame, Paul Heyman.

I can already feel the elitists in D.C. rolling their eyes at the thought of learning something from “that fake stuff.” But let me tell you something: WrestleMania XL garnered 660 million views on social media. Its YouTube channel had more than 67 million views in 24 hours. Any speech or event or debate featuring Joe Biden or Trump isn’t getting close to that kind of engagement.

If you really want to understand how and why Donald Trump has done what he has done, simply tune in to Monday Night Raw or Smackdown.

Ultimately, WWE tells the compelling story of the struggles between heroes and villains, but it’s the fans who decide who the heroes and villains are — as witnessed by the outcry when Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson returned to the main event picture, only to have an outright rebellion from the fans that Rhodes wasn’t going to get a chance to “finish his story.” The result changed the entire storyline for WrestleMania as The Rock embraced the heel persona, “The Final Boss” was born, and Rhodes got to complete the hero’s journey.

The structure of this storytelling can be instructive if you point that lens toward our political process. But more than the confrontations and rivalries, the community that is built by and around WWE is the most informative takeaway our political, thought, and media leaders can absorb.

Wouldn’t it be something if the folks in D.C. could credibly be able to espouse the WWE signature: Then, Now, Together, Forever.

Kurt Bardella is a NewsNation contributor, former aide to Republicans and Democrats in Congress, and a lifelong WWE fan. You can follow him @KurtBardella on X and Threads and @KurtTakes on Instagram.