Metaphor and Allegory in the Relationship Between Donald Trump and Godzilla

Abstract

It is common for journalists to compare Donald Trump to Godzilla. Most of the comparisons, however, do not take the next step of comparing aspects of the Trump presidency to episodes in Godzilla films – that is, they use the Godzilla metaphor but do not use them as allegorical representations. This article offers allegorical lessons that the Showa period Godzilla films (1954–1975) can provide for understanding the Trump presidency and presidential interregnum. In doing so, it maps other characters in the Godzilla films to contemporary American political figures, and it argues that lessons from films such as these are more familiar to most citizens and politicians, and thus are more likely to be used to interpret and respond to political events than are the historical patterns often used by scholars to explain political behavior.