Sign used during Trump's2016 and2020 presidential campaigns
Sign used during Trump's2024 presidential campaign
"Make America Great Again" (MAGA,US:/ˈmæɡə/)[1] is an Americanpolitical slogan most recently popularized byDonald Trump during his presidential campaigns in2016,2020, and2024. "MAGA" is also used to refer toTrump's ideology, political base, or to an individual or group of individuals from within that base. The slogan became a pop culture phenomenon, seeing widespread use and spawning numerous variants in the arts, entertainment and politics, being used by both supporters and opponents of Trump's presidency and as the name of the super PACMake America Great Again Inc.[2]
"Let's make America great again" was famously used inRonald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign. At the time, the United States was suffering from a worsening economy at home marked bystagflation. Using the country's economic distress as a springboard for his campaign, Reagan used the slogan to stir a sense of patriotism among the electorate.[9][10] During his acceptance speech at the1980 Republican National Convention, Reagan said, "For those without job opportunities, we'll stimulate new opportunities, particularly in the inner cities where they live. For those who've abandoned hope, we'll restore hope and we'll welcome them into a great national crusade to make America great again."[11][12]
In December 2011, following speculation that he would challenge sitting presidentBarack Obama in the2012 United States presidential election, Trump released a statement in which he said he was unwilling to rule out running as a presidential candidate in the future, explaining "I must leave all of my options open because, above all else, we must make America great again."[16] In December 2011, he also publisheda book using as a subtitle the similar phrase "Making America #1 Again", which in a 2015 reissue was changed to "Make America Great Again!"[17] On January 1, 2012, a group of Trump supporters filed paperwork with theTexas secretary of state's office to create the "Make America Great Again Party", which would have allowed Trump to be that party's nominee if he had decided to become a third-party candidate in the presidential election.[18]
Trump began using the slogan formally on November 7, 2012, the day after Barack Obama won his re-election againstMitt Romney. Trump used the slogan in an August 2013 interview withJonathan Karl.[19] By his own account, he first considered "We Will Make America Great", but did not feel like it had the right "ring" to it. "Make America Great" was his next slogan idea, but upon further reflection, he felt that it was a slight to America because it implied that America was never great. He eventually selected the phrase "Make America Great Again", later claiming that he was unaware of Reagan's use in 1980 until 2015, but noted that "he didn't trademark it."[20] On November 12, he signed an application with theUnited States Patent and Trademark Office requesting exclusive rights to use the slogan for political purposes. It was registered as a service mark on July 14, 2015, after Trump formally began his2016 presidential campaign and demonstrated that he was using the slogan for the purpose stated on the application.[21][20][22]
"Vote To Make America Great Again" banner in California, 2016
However, Trump did not trademark the phrase in commerce. On August 5, 2015, radio personalityBobby Bones took note of this and successfully filed a trademark for the phrase's use in commerce. Two days later Bonestweeted at Trump, offering the use of his slogan back in exchange for a $100,000 donation to theSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital. On October 29, Bones followed up the tweet with an image of a check fromthe Trump Organization. The amount on the check was undisclosed and Bones said that Trump could "have [his] slogan back".[23]
Following Trump's first election, the website ofhis presidential transition was established at greatagain.gov.[24] Trump said in 2017 and 2018 that the slogan of his2020 reelection campaign would be "Keep America Great" and he sought to trademark it.[20][25] However, Trump's 2020 campaign continued to use the "Make America Great Again" slogan.[26] Trump'svice president,Mike Pence, used the phrase "make America great again, again" in his2020 Republican National Convention speech, garnering ridicule for implying that Trump's first term had failed.[27][28] In late 2021, this phrase became the name of a pro-TrumpSuper-PAC, which was also mocked.[29] A 2020 executive order, titled "Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture", was nicknamed "Make Federal Buildings Beautiful Again" by proponents and the press.[30][31][32]
Less than a week after Trump left office, he spoke to advisors about possibly establishing a third party, which he suggested might be named either the "Patriot Party" or "Make America Great Again Party". In his first few days out of office, he also supportedArizona state party chairwomanKelli Ward, who likewise called for the creation of a "MAGA Party". In late January 2021, the former president viewed the proposed MAGA Party as leverage to prevent Republican senators from voting to convict him during theSenate impeachment trial, and to field challengers to Republicans who voted for his impeachment in the House.[33][34] The phrase was used again as the official slogan of Trump's2024 presidential campaign. On June 3, 2023, Trump called his supportersMagadonians, prompting mockery on social media.[35][36]
MAGA hat
"Maga hat" redirects here; not to be confused withMagahat.
During the 2016 campaign, Trump often used the slogan, especially by wearingMAGA hats emblazoned with the phrase in white letters, which soon became popular among his supporters.[37] The slogan was so important to the campaign that at one point it spent more on making the hats – sold for $25 each on its website – than on polling, consultants, or television commercials. Millions were sold, and Trump estimated thatcounterfeit versions outnumbered the real hat ten to one. "...but it was a slogan, and every time somebody buys one, that's an advertisement."[20] The hat's white-on-red design saw great success as a symbol of unity among Trump supporters.[38][39]
Some critics have compared its use to other politically charged symbols, such as theConfederate flag, while supporters view it as an expression of patriotism and political identity.[40][41] Due to its association with Trump andhis policies, the hat has been a source of controversy. Some individuals view it as a divisive or provocative symbol, while others see it as an exercise of their political beliefs.[42][43]
Trump supporters wearing MAGA hats, October 2025, a month after Kirk's death
In January 2019, it gained media attention duringa highly publicized standoff between a group of high schoolers wearing the hat andOmaha tribe leaderNathan Phillips. The incident was initially perceived by some as racially charged; however, subsequent video footage led to a reassessment of the situation by multiple media outlets.[44][45] On December 29, 2022, the9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Vancouver, Washington, ruled that wearing a MAGA hat is considered protected speech under theFirst Amendment. A former teacher had worn a MAGA hat to class to school and described facing verbal harassment andretaliation from school employees.[46]
Donald Trump took the campaign slogan to social media (primarily toTwitter), using thehashtags #makeamericagreatagain and its acronym #maga. In response to criticism regarding his frequent and untraditional usage of social media, Trump defended himself by tweeting "My use of social media is not Presidential – it's MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL. Make America Great Again!" on July 1, 2017.[47]
In the first half of 2017, Trump posted his slogan on Twitter 33 times. In an article forBloomberg News, Mark Whitehouse noted: "A regression analysis suggests the phrase adds (very roughly) 51,000 to a post's retweet-and-favorite count, which is important given that the average Trump tweet attracts a total of 107,000."[48] Trump attributed his victory (in part) to social media when he said, "I won the 2016 election with interviews, speeches, and social media."[49] According to RiteTag, the estimated hourly statistics for #maga on Twitter alone include: 1,304 unique tweets, 5,820,000 hashtag exposure, and 3,424 retweets with 14% of #maga tweets including images, 55% including links, and 51% including mentions.[50]
2025 internal split with Marjorie Taylor Greene
In late 2025, several media outlets reported a significant public rift between Donald Trump and RepresentativeMarjorie Taylor Greene, one of the most prominent political figures associated with the MAGA movement. In November 2025, Trump withdrew his endorsement of Greene and publicly described her as “wacky” and a “lunatic.”[51][52]
According to reporting byThe Globe and Mail, tensions escalated due to Greene’s advocacy for the release ofEpstein-related documents, as well as broader disagreements about the future direction of the movement.[53]
Commentators described the fallout as a significant internal challenge for the MAGA movement. Some outlets suggested that the rift could complicate Republican candidate alignment, messaging, and endorsements ahead of the 2026 congressional and Senate elections, potentially weakening the movement’s cohesion.[54]
Additional reporting noted that the dispute coincided with the emergence of competing right-wing branding efforts, including the “America First Wave” promoted by activistNick Fuentes. Some analysts viewed this as a sign of shifting internal dynamics within the broader MAGA base.[55]
Regarding its use since 2015, the phrase "Make America Great Again" is considered aloaded phrase and "dog whistle". Marissa Melton, aVoice of America journalist, among others,[5][6] explained how it is a loaded phrase because it "doesn't just appeal to people who hear it asracist coded language, but also to those who have felt a loss of status as other groups have become more empowered."[4] AsSarah Churchwell explains, the slogan now resonates as "America First" did in the early 1940s, with the idea "that the true version of America is the America that looks like me, the American fantasy I imagine existed before it was diluted with other races and other people."[56]
Writing opinion for theLos Angeles Times, Robin Abcarian wrote that "[w]earing a 'Make America Great Again' hat is not necessarily an overt expression of racism. But if you wear one, it's a pretty good indication that you share, admire or appreciate President Trump's racist views about Mexicans, Muslims and border walls."[6] TheDetroit Free Press and theLos Angeles Times reported how several of their readers rejected this characterization and did not believe the slogan or MAGA hats are evidence of racism, seeing them more in patriotic orAmerican nationalist terms.[57][58]Los Angeles Times columnistNicholas Goldberg described MAGA as both one of the worst campaign slogans ever and "a fabulous campaign slogan", writing: "It was vague enough to appeal to optimists generally, while leaving plenty of room for bitter and resentful voters to conclude that we were finally going back to the days when they ran the world."[59] ActorBryan Cranston said of the slogan: "So just ask yourself from, from an African American experience, when was it ever great in America for the African American? When was it great? If you're making it great again, it's not including them."[60]
"Make America Great Again" has been the subject of many parodies, jokes, instances of praise, references, and criticisms which base themselves on the four-word slogan.[62]
Derivatives used by Trump
"Keep America Great" has been the most popular derivative of "Make America Great Again", withTrump's 2020 presidential campaign adopting it as the official slogan, though often used alongside "Make America Great Again".[63][64] Upon Trump announcing his candidacy for president in the2024 election, commentators described his use of the tagline "Make America Great and Glorious Again" ("MAGAGA"). The term has come to be a humorous descriptor for Trump's re-election bid, and many outlets have commented on the humor that "MAGAGA" provides, usually on the word "gag" being part of the acronym.[65][66][67]
During a joint press conference with Philippine presidentBongbong Marcos at the White House in July 2025, Trump voiced support for the Philippines'independent foreign policy and said, "I think he (Marcos) has to do what's right for his country. I've always said, you know, make the Philippines great again. Do whatever you need to do."[72][73]
Make Iran Great Again
The slogan, Make Iran Great Again, was coined by U.S. president Donald Trump which characterizes the Islamic regime as damaging Iran and advocates for its replacement to help Iran become a stronger nation.[74][75] This slogan was also used by the Iranian opposition groupRestart.[76]
Anti-Trump derivatives, parodies, and other derivatives
In 2017, after the certification of the election of Trump by Congress, then-Vice-president Joe Biden was heard saying "God Save the Queen", leading toHistory Today claiming it would get "Make AmericaGreat Britain Again".[82] Later in the year, comedianJimmy Kimmel repeated the phrase to suggest limiting presidential power.[83] A 2018 essay about the Barack Obamabirtherism conspiracy in theJournal of Hate Studies by two professors atBates College was titled "Make America Hate Again: Donald Trump and the Birther Conspiracy".[84]
A 2019 "Make Earth Greta Again" protestor inBerlin
In late 2022, the political slogan "MAGA Communism" trended onTwitter after beingtweeted out by formerSan Clemente city council candidateJackson Hinkle. MAGA Communism adherents call on those who support the Americanworking class to ally with members of the MAGA movement.[89] During the presidential campaignJavier Milei in Argentina in 2023, the slogan MAGA was adapted as "Make Argentina Great Again".[90][91] Milei, a personal friend,[92] as well as an admirer of Trump,[91] later won the election in November 2023, with Trump sending a congratulatory message with the slogan "Make Argentina Great Again".[93][94] The term "Blue MAGA" is used to criticize a cult-like dedication to Biden as a person, theDemocratic Party's use of conspiracy theories to explain opposition to Biden's2024 presidential candidacy, and dismissals of information or polling that does not reflect well on Biden; the term seeks to suggest an equivalence between some supporters of Biden and Trump.[95][96][97]
In early 2025, the Brazilian government's secretary of communicationSidônio Palmeira created the slogan "Brazil belongs to Brazilians" ("O Brasil é dos brasileiros")—printed on blue caps—at the request of then-on-leave secretary of institutional affairsAlexandre Padilha, with the aim of countering the "Make America Great Again" caps.[98][99] Brazil's presidentLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva also posted a video on social media wearing the cap, in what has sometimes been referred to as the "battle of the caps" or "cap war".[100][101] Padilha stated he was distressed to see people "saluting another country", in reference to former presidentJair Bolsonaro;[98][99] also following Trump's inauguration, the governor of São PauloTarcísio de Freitas appeared wearing a red cap with the phrase "Make America Great Again".[101] In July of that year, afterTrump's tariff hike against Brazil which was described byThe Economist as the greatest interference since theCold War, Lula da Silva adopted a nationalist stance, once again wearing a cap bearing the slogan "Brazil belongs to Brazilians".[102][103] In August, during the second ministerial meeting of the year, Lula da Silva andhis ministers wore the cap in question; the president and all 38 ministers posed for identification-style photographs on the occasion.[104][101]
Use of the slogan by Trump's political rivals
After Donald Trump popularized the use of the phrase, the phrase andmodifications of it were widely used in reference both to his election campaign and to his politics. Trump's primary opponents,Ted Cruz andScott Walker, began using "Make America Great Again" in speeches, inciting Trump to sendcease-and-desist letters to them.[20] Cruz later sold hats featuring "Make Trump Debate Again" in response to Trump's boycotting theIowa January 28, 2016, debate.[105]
New York governorAndrew Cuomo said America "was never that great" during a September 2018 bill signing.[106][107] Former United States attorney generalEric Holder questioned the slogan in a March 2019 interview onMSNBC, asking: "Exactly when did you think America was great?"[108][109] DuringJohn McCain's memorial service on September 1, 2018, his daughterMeghan stated: "The America of John McCain has no need to be made great again because America was always great."[110] Trump subsequently tweeted "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" later that day.[111]
During remarks at the White House on May 4, 2022, PresidentJoe Biden referred to former president Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement, saying, "This MAGA crowd is really the most extreme political organization that's existed in American history, in recent American history."[112] On September 1, 2022, he dedicated remarks at the White House "on the continued battle for the soul of the nation",[113] to attacks on "Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans", saying that "Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic", and that "MAGA Republicans have made their choice. They embrace anger. They thrive on chaos. They live not in the light of truth but in the shadow of lies."[114]
After Florida governorRon DeSantis announced his run for the2024 Republican Party presidential primary, several news outlets said he promised to "Make America Florida".[115][116][117][118][119] One of the most widespread anti-Trump derivatives of "Make America Great Again" during the Trump presidency and the 2020 election was "Make America Think Again", often combined with 2020 Democratic primary candidateAndrew Yang's preferred version of "Make America Think Harder" ("MATH"). The slogan has been spotted at numerous anti-Trump events from Democratic political rallies to marches to social media, withLive Science noting "Think Again" as one of its top hashtags for 2017.[120][121][122][123]
"Make America White Again"
Since 2016, the phrase "Make AmericaWhite Again" was used byhate groups and politicians who align themselves with Trump.[124] Australian political commentator and formerLiberal Party leaderJohn Hewson also used the slogan in reference to his belief that recent global movements against traditional politics and politicians are based on racism and prejudice. He comments: "There should be little doubt about U.S. presidentDonald Trump's views on race, despite his occasional 'denials', assertions of 'fake news', and/or his semantic distinctions. His election campaign theme was effectively a promise to 'Make America Great Again; America First and Only' and—nod, nod, wink, wink—to Make America White Again."[125] Neo-NaziJames Mason expressed that the election of Trump gave him hope, commenting that "in order to Make America Great Again, you have to make it white again".[126]
"Make America Great Again" has frequently been parodied in advertising, the media, and other outlets of popular culture, with varying levels of comparison to Trump from none at all to a rebuke of the former president andhis ideology.
Fashion designerAndre Soriano used the "Make America Great Again" official presidential campaign flag to design a MAGA gown for celebrities in Hollywood to wear on red carpet, such as at the2017 Grammy Awards.[131]
In films and web series
The tagline for the filmThe Purge: Election Year (2016) is "Keep America Great" (a phrase Trump would later use as his 2020 campaign slogan); one of the TV spots for the film featured Americans who explain why they support the Purge, with one stating he does so "to keep my country [America] great".[132] The next film in the franchise,The First Purge, was subsequently advertised with a poster featuring its title stylized on a MAGA hat.[133] InThe Boys Season 4, the political slogan "Make America Super Again" serves as the main rallying cry forHomelander, the primary antagonist, as he successfully executes his own version ofJanuary 6 coup attempt in the universe ofThe Boys franchise.[134][135]
In literature
AuthorOctavia E. Butler used "Make America Great Again" as the presidential campaign slogan for the dictator Andrew Steele Jarret in her 1998 dystopian novelParable of the Talents.[136] In 2011, Republican formerUnited States Senate candidateChristine O'Donnell published a book about her campaign in the2010 Delaware special election titledTroublemaker: Let's Do What It Takes to Make America Great Again.[137] Political advisorDan Pfeiffer's second book is calledUn-Trumping America: A Plan to Make America aDemocracy Again. Political commentator and authorPeter Beinart published a 2006 book titledThe Good Fight: Why Liberals – and Only Liberals – Can Win the War on Terror and Make America Great Again,[138] drawing on the philosophy of theologianReinhold Niebuhr after the2003 invasion of Iraq and during the early years of thewar on terror.
In music
Snoop Dogg's second EP is calledMake America Crip Again with the second single titled "M.A.C.A." Dogg was quoted inRolling Stone as saying that "Make America Great Again" refers to a time in the past that "always takes me back to separation andsegregation so I'd rather Make AmericaCrip Again" and referred to a time "when young black men in impoverished areas organized to help their communities and to take care of their own because society basically left them for dead".[139] SingerJoy Villa produced a single "Make America Great Again" a few months after appearing at the 2017 Grammy Awards in a 'MAGA' dress.[140] Australian heavy metal bandThy Art Is Murder recorded a song called "Make America Hate Again" on their albumHuman Target.[141]
Senator Armstrong, the antagonist of the 2013 video gameMetal Gear Rising: Revengeance uses the phrase "make America great again".[147]Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, a first-person shooter video game withNazis as the enemy, was given the advertisingtagline "Make America Nazi-Free Again", which some people objected to as anti-Trump, though a company executive said the game was not a "social critique on 2017 America." Peters Hines, the studio's vice president of marketing and public relations, was quoted onGamesIndustry.biz as saying, "Wolfenstein has been a decidedly anti-Nazi series since the first release more than 20 years ago. We aren't going to shy away from what the game is about. We don't feel it's a reach for us to say Nazis are bad and un-American, and we're not worried about being on the right side of history here."[148]
During the2020 Trinidad and Tobago general election campaign, theLeader of the Opposition and former prime ministerKamla Persad-Bissessar, who has been accused as attempting to be a "wannabe Trinidad and Tobago Trump,"[154] used the phrase "Make T&T (Trinidad and Tobago) great again!"[155] Following Donald Trump's victory in the2024 United States presidential election, she described his win as an effort to "restore conservative American values and ideals, which have been under attack by promoters of extreme far-left ideology."[156] In Singapore, the slogan "MakeYishun Great Again" was used by content creators as a running joke where the town itself has a stereotype for being dangerous. There were hats sold with the phrase.[157] Similarly,People's Power Party, a political party in Singapore, used a variant of the slogan, "Make Singapore Home Again" for their party's manifesto and campaign during the2025 Singaporean general election.[158]
In January 2025, during anAlternative für Deutschland (AfD) campaign rally for the2025 German federal election,Elon Musk spoke at the event through a video call, reiterating his previousendorsement of the party. Following his short speech,Alice Weidel, the leading AfD candidate for the upcoming elections, thanked Musk and used the derived expression "Make Germany great again".[168] In February 2025, Indian prime ministerNarendra Modi used the derivative "Make India Great Again" during a bilateral meeting with Trump, saying: "Borrowing an expression from the US, our vision for a developed India is to 'Make India Great Again', or MIGA. When America and India work together, when it's MAGA plus MIGA, it becomes mega – a mega partnership for prosperity."[169] An April 2025 article byThe Economist which introduced the impact ofthe second Trump administration tariffs in China was entitled "How America could end up making China great again".[170] In Syria, a billboard was seen in Damascus during the visit of U.S. Republican congressmanCory Mills, displaying the phrase "Make Syria Great Again."[171] In an interview with theJewish Journal on 28 May 2025, Syrian presidentAhmed al-Sharaa said he accepted the role to help rebuild Syria, stating, "We have no choice but to succeed", and used the phrase "We must make Syria great again".[172]
See also
America is Back – Political catchphrasePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
^Solnit, Rebecca (2018).Call Them by Their True Names: American Crises (and Essays). Haymarket Books.Trump's slogan, 'Make America great again', seemed to invoke a return to a Never Never Land of white male supremacy, where coal was an awesome fuel, blue-color manufacturing jobs were what they had been in 1956, women belong in the home, and the needs of white men were paramount.
Gökarıksel, Banu; Smith, Sara (September 2016). "'Making America great again'?: The fascist body politics of Donald Trump".Political Geography.54:79–81.doi:10.1016/j.polgeo.2016.07.004.ISSN0962-6298.
Ward, Richard; Hristova, Stefka (2022). "Slogans of White Supremacy". In Goldstein, Donna M.; Drybread, Kristen (eds.).Corruption and Illiberal Politics in the Trump Era. pp. 219–234.doi:10.4324/9781003152729-17.ISBN978-1-00-315272-9.
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