MAGA movement, nativist political movement that appeared in UNITED STATES during his 2016 presidential campaign putative chief, Donald Trump. Its name is derived from the 2016 Trump campaign slogan “Make America Great Again”, which became a rallying cry for many Trump supporters during his candidacy, his presidency (2017–2021) and beyond.
The MAGA movement (often simply called MAGA, or Make America Great Again), was founded on the belief that the United States was once a “great” country, but lost that status due to foreign influence , both within their borders (via immigration And multiculturalism) and without (via globalizationor the increase integration of several national economies). MAGA members believe this disgrace can be reversed through “America First” that would bring a greater degree of economic development. protectionismSignificantly reducing immigration, especially from developing countries, and encouraging or enforcing what MAGA members consider traditional American values. Some MAGA-backed policies, such as Trump’s 2015 call for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims enter the United States,” would imply huge racial or religious discrimination. (Some of the policies ultimately adopted by the Trump administration involved such discriminatory treatment of non-white immigrants; see below.)
In addition to its political positions, the MAGA movement is known for its particularly combative character, which illustrates the extreme party spirit of contemporary American politics. In accordance with this controversial position rhetoric has flourished within the movement, including messages that critics view as homophobic, sexistOr racist or as an incentive violence.
The MAGA movement is also known for having an antagonistic relationship with the mainstream news media, which is considered by a majority of the movement to be biased at best against MAGA’s views, and at worst to lie on behalf of the movement’s enemies. This belief has led to vulnerability among MAGA members to fake news and particularly far-fetched information. conspiracy theories spread by MAGA-supporting media outlets and echoed by MAGA leaders. Examples include accusations that former Democratic President Barack Obama is not a United States citizen born in the United States (“birth“), that Democrats’ immigration policies aim to replace white Americans with non-white immigrants (see replacement theory), that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump by the Democrats thanks to massive measures electoral fraudand that the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitolin which a crowd Trump supporters tried to stop Democrats from being certified by Congress Joe BidenThe US president’s victory in the 2020 presidential election was actually engineered by left-wing forces.
A variation of the phrase “Make America Great Again” was first popularized by the Republican president. Ronald Reaganwho used “Make America Great Again” as one of many slogans during his 1980 presidential campaign. Trump reportedly coined the phrase “Make America Great Again” in November 2012, just after Mitt Romneythe former Republican governor of Massachusetts, lost the 2012 presidential election to Obama. Trump filed to trademark the slogan in an effort to “promote public awareness of and fundraising in the political field.” He announced his campaign slogan the same day he declared himself a candidate for the elections. 2016 Republican presidential nomination—June 16, 2015. This date can be considered the beginning of the MAGA movement.
Trump’s campaign quickly attracted strong support among conservative white, working-class voters. Trump’s past as a businessman stood out to these Americans as a sign that he understood economyand his lack of previous government service suggested that he was not tainted by the corruption they associated with Washington, DC. They also appreciated his populist message, in which he claimed that the federal government was controlled by Democratic “elites.” (MAGA members did not view it as contradictory at all that Trump, a billionaire, was himself a member of the country’s wealthy elite; in their view, Trump’s wealth simply meant that when he acted elite, he knew what he was talking about ) Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they famously admired Trump’s personal style. belligerent and conflicting. Trump’s habit of intimidating his opponents with personal insults and name-calling, as well as his regular boasting, have encouraged MAGA members to view him as an ordinary person or “ordinary man” rather than a conventional politician.
Many election experts and political commentators have not taken the MAGA phenomenon seriously. Trump’s nomination as Republican PartyThe 2016 presidential candidate was considered a boon for the Democratic candidate Hillary Clintonthe chances of winning the 2016 presidential election; even Clinton herself felt comfortable enough during the race to publicly reject Trump’s most important ideas. ardent his supporters as a “basket of deplorables”. But the enthusiasm of the MAGA movement, combined with Clinton’s unpopularity among segments of independent voters in some states, resulted in Trump’s electoral victory, stunning not only much of the country but also the entire world.
In the aftermath of the election, there was a rush to understand and respond to the new political power that the MAGA movement represented. The media published numerous articles and television reports analyzing the development and composition of the movement. Within the Republican PartyTrump has become a kingmaker, his support almost necessary for anyone who wants to win Republican office. primary election for a large office.
Over the next four years, Trump used decrees to keep some of his promises to MAGA voters. A week into his term, the new president signed an executive order banning immigration to the United States from seven majority-Muslim countries. (After a district court barred enforcement of the ban, in part on the grounds that it violated anti-discrimination provisions and other aspects of U.S. immigration law, Trump issued a second ordinance, which was also banned A third version of the ban, which also applied to immigrants from. North Korea and Venezuelan government officials, was finally confirmed by the Supreme Court of the United States in June 2018.) Also in January 2017, Trump signed an executive order ordering “the immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border” with Mexico. And in 2018, Trump began leveling tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, European Unionand China. At the same time, he increased his popularity with Republicans in general by attempting to repeal the law. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”), supporting a massive tax cut that primarily benefited corporations and the wealthy, and appointing three ultraconservative justices to the Supreme Court. judges. Therefore, Trump’s movement was stronger than ever when he campaigned for re-election in 2020.
However, by the end of his first term, Trump had become deeply unpopular with independent voters, resulting in a defeat to his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden. In a move unprecedented among modern presidential candidates, Trump refused to concede the raceaffirming that the the elections were “rigged” by the Democrats. Motivated by this lie, a MAGA-aligned mob stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Whatever embarrassment the attack caused the movement, however, was short-lived. Quite the contrary: within a year, most members of the MAGA movement described themselves as antifascists (“antifa“) Activists had secretly incited the assault, and by 2023, Trump himself was publicly celebrating the attack at rallies of his supporters.
The MAGA movement remains a powerful force in American politics. By the end of 2022, an estimated 4 in 10 Republicans identified as “MAGA Republicans.” Shortly after the 2022 midterm elections, Trump declared his candidacy for office. 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Faced with the strength of the MAGA movement, other candidates for the Republican nomination have been forced to adopt strategies limiting direct or serious conflict. reviews of Trump and emphasize their acceptance of at least some of the extremist views of MAGA members.