The Left is Right. Trump is a King...

By Greg Rabidoux

...of counter-programming.

And why the latest Tom Cruise MI installment comes up a bit short (um, sorry Tom, I don't mean you, you are a true Giant of film, at least)

First, let's be clear. When it comes to visuals and villains the left falls way short. They so want everyone to hate President Trump and MAGA Nation, but they keep fumbling the optics.

The L.A. riots gave us masked protesters with vaguely Mad Max or old Oakland Raider football make-up revolutionary-wannabes riding around on motorcycles while waving the Mexican flag. All this while their comrades poured lighter fluid on, then stomped on, then screamed with delight as they burned American flags. These are visuals that appeal to a small, radicalized minority while villainizing the protesters to the rest of the nation not the president. Strike one.

The "No Kings" protests, in part funded and promoted by WalMart heiress Christy Walton, gave us, um, well a lot of vagueness. There were signs about rainbows, transgenderism, blow-up balloons of a very orange President Trump, anti-DOGE signs, and pro-Hamas signs. This nationwide protest, largely funded by over 240 DNC affiliated non-profits with a reported $2.1 billion cash kitty, felt anything but authentic and organic. There was even a sign that apparently showed some protesters were fearful about Trump taking action with his own "No Queens" initiative. Talk about manufactured victim cards. Strike two.

But once again, and what must really infuriate his critics, President Trump, who long before he chose politics was remember, a master brand builder, is truly the King of counterprogramming. You yell "No Kings" he gives the US Army, and every hero ever affiliated with protecting this nation against literal Kings like England's George, a birthday bash to remember. The icing on the Army cake? Right, it happened on President Trump's actual birthday (June 14th). And he wasn't being fed cake or having his mouth wiped Joe Biden style. Speaking of letting them eat cake, Queen Hillary Clinton bashed the Army celebration while partying at the lavish Hamptons wedding of former aide Huma Abedin (yep, that Huma Abedin) as she said "I do" to billionaire George Soros heir Alex. Strike three. Next batter from the Left please.

Whether it's boisterous patriotic bashes, large outdoor rallies, exclusive media interviews or surprise podcasts with "breaking news" or "huge announcements" all timed to counter anything and everything the opposition tries, we have never seen this sort of dueling media mastery from the White House before. President Reagan with his southern California marketing insiders set the gold standard back in the 1980s but this, well, this takes the Army Birthday cake. Geez, even the actual Left Congressional baseball team lost to the Right. Again.

As far as the Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, let's just say that Esai Morales's Gabriel is no Hannibal Lecter. Or Hans Gruber. Or Darth. Or even Phillip Seymour Hoffman in MI 3. How about we unite against a real villain who is currently occupying the seat of "Supreme Leader" in Iran and calling for the Death of Israel and America. Now that is a truly scary visual and message.

Greg Rabidoux is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and author. He is clearly into powerful visuals and villains.