Nestled between the Aventine and Palatine hills of Rome, the Circus Maximus was once the site of races, gladiatorial battles, theater, and ceremonies. It was the entertainment center of the world. Politicians sought to expand their reputations with spectacle, and if recent happenings on Capitol Hill are any indication, that tradition is alive and well in Washington, DC.
Send in the Clowns!
President Donald Trump’s nominees for Cabinet positions surely feel what it was like to be the main act in the Circo Massimo as they engage in verbal battle, jockeying for their new jobs. But like in Rome in ancient days, the pomp and circumstance, the bloodletting, was not for the glory of the gladiator but rather for those who hosted the event. And this proves just as true today.
This last week saw big names harassed and derided in committee hearings as lawmakers attempted to improve their own stock with soundbites and speeches. Indeed, some senators chose not to ask questions, instead opting to make what amounted to campaign or fundraising speeches. And when questions were forthcoming, they sought not information but narrative confirmation.
In the Roman Republic, events were organized by the aediles – lower-level elected officials responsible for administrative tasks. The games were a chance to prove worthiness for higher office depending on how well their particular ludi was received. Essentially, it was an interview – and this week’s festivities were not so different.
Honest Brokers at the Circus
The Senate’s role in confirmations is “advice and consent.” One could ask how such purposes are achieved by grandstanding, engaging in oratory, and scoring cheap points. But it is not only from the opposition benches that theatrics are being performed. Republican committee members seem determined to either show their party allegiance or extract commitments from prospective candidates. “Will you commit to XYZ?” is the mantra of the day, usually involving some key concessions that involve their home state or pet project.
And then, of course, there is the unique opportunity to become the Soundbite King (or Queen) with a stump speech that can be faithfully trotted out during election season. The legacy media and new media will both seize the chance to play fiery rhetoric because it is news! More so, it is combative news that has import far beyond campaign trail speeches.
Let’s Not Forget Trump
Every circus needs a ringmaster, and it appears that Donald Trump is happy to assume that role. Less than two weeks in office and he has already transformed the staid old business-as-usual presidency. Whether that is choosing nominees from a range of political backgrounds, signing a flurry of executive orders (some in front of live crowds), being the most accessible POTUS in modern history, or just more generally re-energizing the Oval Office, politics has become more than a spectator sport. And yet, the performative environs of the Senate committee hearings remain very much the purview of those determined to raise their personal profiles.
Author John Humphrey, in his 1986 book Roman Circuses, described the Circus Maximus when not being used for the big shows as “a dusty open space with shops and booths … a colourful crowded disreputable area” home to “prostitutes, jugglers, fortune tellers and low-class performing artists.” One might reasonably speculate whether things do, indeed, change with the times.