CNN host Abby Phillip has drawn a striking comparison between former President Donald Trump and a fictional character from Quentin Tarantino’s iconic film “Pulp Fiction,” suggesting Trump sees himself in a similar light to the assassin Jules Winnfield, portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson. In her opening monologue, Phillip observed, “Donald Trump channels Tarantino. It’s almost like he sees himself as Ezekiel, beset on all sides by the tyranny of evil men but here’s the thing about those enemies — they’re about as real as the Samuel L. Jackson character Jules Winnfield; meaning not at all.”
Phillip’s analogy extends beyond cinematic comparison, warning of the potential real-world consequences of Trump’s rhetoric, which often includes promises of revenge against purported enemies. “These biblical-sounding promises of great revenge against their invisible enemies well, there’s a lot to suggest that they could be taken seriously,” she noted.
The discussion comes in the wake of Trump’s recent conviction on all 34 counts of falsifying business records to influence the 2016 election, a topic Trump addressed in a Phoenix town hall meeting at Dream City Church. “Trump just hours ago, ranted about his trial where 12 jurors made him a convicted felon,” Phillip reported. “He called it rigged, and then he made what you can only interpret as a threat to the court that will decide the validity of his conviction.”
Trump’s comments at the church were particularly pointed: “We have to straighten out what’s going on with these courts. We got a rigged deal in this whole country and we’ve got to do it. And those appellate courts have to step up and straighten things out, or we’re not going to have a country any longer.”
Phillip also tied these sentiments to a broader narrative of systemic distrust often echoed by Trump and his allies, including former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who was recently sentenced to four months in jail for contempt of Congress. Bannon, undeterred, declared outside court, “There’s nothing that can shut me up and nothing that will shut me up. There’s not a prison built that will ever shut me up. All victory to MAGA.”
Further reflecting on the financial aspects of Trump’s campaign, Phillip highlighted the substantial funds raised following his conviction: “Right after the announcement of this, more campaign funds were given to this campaign than any campaign they think in history—400 million,” Trump boasted at the town hall.
Phillip’s commentary sheds light on the powerful, and potentially perilous, narratives spun by Trump and his inner circle, likening their political tactics to the dramatic flourishes of a Tarantino film but with far greater stakes.