Two controversial Trump films set to release before US election. Within weeks of each other, two films about United States (US) presidential candidate Donald Trump will be released, each painting a very different picture of the former president.
On September 27, Vindicating Trump, a right-wing documentary based off the book of the same name will be released. The film hopes to rally and inspire Trump supporters by examining how a planned ‘assassination’ of Trumps character was carried out.
Dinesh D’Souza, a right-wing commentator, conspiracy theorist and convicted felon is the books author. In 2014, D’Souza was convicted of making an illegal contribution to the 2012 US Senate campaign of Wendy Long in New York. He pleaded guilty stating he knew his actions violated the law.
Trump pardoned D’Souza in 2018 saying that the best-selling author “was treated very unfairly by our government!”
D’Souza has been heavily criticised for his false claims. He previously released a book and film titled “2000 Mules” which presented a false conspiracy regarding voter fraud in the 2020 election.
D’Souza claimed that the five states which backed Joe Biden for president were manipulated by 2,000 ‘mules’, people hired by unnamed non-profits to conduct ballet trafficking. Journalists and law enforcement officers debunked these claims. A defamation lawsuit filed in 2022 eventually led to the book and film being pulled from distribution.
Based on the trailer for “Vindicating Trump”, it seems as if D’Souza is once again re-treading the same ground. “We were able to purchase 10,000 ballots,” claimed a voice in the trailer.
“They will try anything to stop Trump. We can’t let them” is part of the film’s synopsis. The trailer for the propaganda piece is littered with dramatized scenes depicting ‘war rooms’, in which officials discuss how to target the former president.
A few weeks later, The Apprentice, a biopic on Trump starring Sebastian Stan will release. While director Ali Abbasi has said the film is not a hit piece, the film features a depiction of Trumps alleged rape of first wife Ivana which drew gasps from audience members at its Cannes premiere.
Trump’s attorneys sent a cease and desist letter to the filmmakers, attempting to block its U.S release. While all of the major studios passed it up, it was eventually picked up by Briarcliff entertainment and will be released on October 11.
“This film is pure malicious defamation,” said Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung.
