John McEntee, a former director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, has a TikTok account on which he shares controversial videos, including one where he talks about giving homeless people fake money to get them arrested in order to “clean up the community.” His smug and villainous demeanor in the video is compared to the character Patrick Bateman from the movie “American Psycho.” This behavior exemplifies a trend known as vice signaling, where individuals on the right intentionally embrace cruelty and disdain for social norms in response to what they see as virtue signaling from the left.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been trying to position herself within the MAGA movement, adopting a more Trump-like persona in an attempt to gain favor with the former president and his supporters. She has made several strategic moves, such as changing her appearance to resemble the Palm Beach look popular at Mar-a-Lago, hiring Trump’s former campaign manager as an advisor, and releasing a book that criticizes other Republicans for not supporting Trump enough. Noem’s efforts to align herself with the MAGA movement have included sharing a controversial story in her book about killing a puppy and a goat, which has drawn criticism from many.
Noem’s inclusion of the dog-killing anecdote in her book is seen as a misguided attempt to appeal to the violent and dominant tendencies admired within the Trump circle. Her story is viewed as an effort to be perceived as tough and willing to make hard choices, but it backfired due to its shocking and distasteful nature. Noem’s portrayal of herself in the book as losing control and acting impulsively in a violent manner contrasts with the intentional and calculated image typically associated with successful vice signaling.
The conservative movement, particularly among young right-wing men, has developed a cult-like admiration for characters like Patrick Bateman from “American Psycho” due to their perceived control over themselves and their surroundings. This desire for control and dominance is not reflected in Noem’s portrayal of herself in the book, which appears erratic and out of control. Her attempt to emulate Trump’s behavior and appeal to his supporters through vice signaling ultimately falls short and is perceived as unappealing and distasteful by many.
Noem’s efforts to ingratiate herself with the MAGA movement through imitation of Trump’s behavior highlight her misunderstanding of the ethos of the movement. While imitation is often seen as a form of flattery, in this case, it comes across as an inadvertent insult due to the lack of intentionality and control in her actions. As she tries to navigate the world of Trump and his supporters, Noem’s misguided attempts at vice signaling through shocking anecdotes and behavior serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of trying to fit into a particular political movement without understanding its underlying values and principles.
