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Far-right news host Steve Gruber, a popular personality on the conservative network Real America's Voice, made a rather outlandish claim about Democrats' prospective performance in this year's midterm elections.
Gruber suggested the box office of Top Gun: Maverick—the follow-up to the classic Top Gun starring Tom Cruise reprising one of the more famous roles of his career—could ring the death knell for Democrats looking to retain congressional control.
He characterized the film's success as a sign "American pride" is alive and well, a sign he suggested bodes well for Republicans later this year.
You can hear what Gruber said in the video below:
\u201cHost Steve Gruber of \u2018Real America\u2019s Voice\u2019 says the success of Top Gun\u2019s debut means big trouble for Democrats in the mid-term elections.\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1654034178
Gruber said:
"And this is by far the biggest warning of all for mealy mouted politicians and feckless weasels of all stripes everywhere, RINOS [Republicans in Name Only], Democrats, [and] socialists."
"But in November it's American pride that will be reawakening and it will be Americans reawakening and taking back our country and it is American pride that hs driven the very rare 'A+' rating for the brand new Top Gun film."
Top Gun: Maverick's success has been attributed, at least by conservatives, to its purported patriotic themes.
Earlier this week, Fox News contributor Clay Travis declared the movie's strong box office numbers indicate "the vast majority of Americans are absolutely desperate to celebrate our country."
\u201c\u201cTop Gun: Maverick\u201d just posted the biggest opening movie weekend of Tom Cruise\u2019s career. It\u2019s a really good movie, but it also hit at the perfect time: the vast majority of Americans are absolutely desperate to celebrate our country.\u201d— Clay Travis (@Clay Travis) 1653863510
Similarly, conservative political commentator Monica Crowley claimed that the film "catapults us back to the mid-1980s, when we had a real President, men were men, and there was unabashed pride in America."
Crowley said the film offers a combination of "nostalgia" and "hope."
\u201cThe secret of Top Gun: Maverick's huge success:\n\nEven though it's set in 2022, it catapults us back to the mid-1980s, when we had a real President, men were men, and there was unabashed pride in America.\n\nIt's both nostalgia - and hope.\u201d— Monica Crowley (@Monica Crowley) 1653871496
But these assertions did not sit well with others who mocked Gruber considerably.
\u201cYeah I went to go see a movie because of politics. These people are dumber than a bag of wet hammers.\u201d— Eric \ud83d\udcda \u26be\ufe0f \ud83c\udfc8 (@Eric \ud83d\udcda \u26be\ufe0f \ud83c\udfc8) 1654043990
\u201cHuh, you'd think since these ppl are conspiracy nuts they'd notice the studio purposefully released the movie for Memorial Day wkend for $.\u201d— Rena (@Rena) 1654040854
\u201cso funny because a lot of people are only seeing it for miles teller\u201d— kaleigh (@kaleigh) 1654042746
\u201cToo badTop Gun isn't real life....just a fictional show about fictional folks....but to magas....I suppose they tit's real.\u201d— bloke (@bloke) 1654039302
\u201cThe price of tea in China has decreased... bad news for Democrats in the midterm elections! \ud83d\ude31\u201d— \ud83c\udf3bSissy is Embarrassed By Shih Tzu Say (@\ud83c\udf3bSissy is Embarrassed By Shih Tzu Say) 1654038345
\u201cBut THEY are the ones always saying \u201cMake America great again\u201d or \u201cSave America\u201d. They absolutely hate all our institutions. They run on knee capping the fed gov. If they detest every aspect of our government, then what exactly do they love?\u201d— TreeHuggerGone (@TreeHuggerGone) 1654037706
\u201cHow is this not the Onion \ud83e\udd37\ud83e\udd23\u201d— \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 BobbyB\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \u26be\ud83c\udfc8\u2615\ud83c\udfc0\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a (@\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 BobbyB\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \u26be\ud83c\udfc8\u2615\ud83c\udfc0\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a) 1654038201
\u201cAnd we wonder why America keeps getting dumber. People actually watch and absorb this crap.\u201d— Cults Are Bad, Let\u2019s Agree (@Cults Are Bad, Let\u2019s Agree) 1654034576
The notion that masculinity is being attacked–namely by the left wing–is a popular one among Republicans like Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, who last year accused "the Left" of hurting "the future of the American man" and went on to claim that the "deconstruction of America begins with and depends on the deconstruction of American men."
The suggestion that masculinity is "in crisis" has also persisted among the right as its most prominent voices continue to assert that the nation's framers would be "horrified" by progressive politics, particularly more inclusive rights for women, minorities, LGBTQ+ people, and other marginalized groups.