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| Keep America Great | |
|---|---|
| Name | Keep America Great |
| Creator | Donald Trump |
| Used by | Trump 2020 campaign |
| Introduced | 2017 |
| Slogan | "Keep America Great" |
Keep America Great
Keep America Great was a political slogan associated with Donald Trump and the Republican Party during the late 2010s and early 2020s, promoted as a successor to the 2016 slogan used in the 2016 campaign. It was employed across rallies, merchandise, and communications tied to the Trump administration, the 2020 presidential campaign, and allied organizations such as the Republican National Committee and Save America PAC.
The slogan emerged as part of post-2016 messaging following the 2016 United States presidential election, when figures from the Trump administration including Kellyanne Conway, Paul Manafort, and Jared Kushner participated in strategic communications alongside consultants from firms connected to Cambridge Analytica and Brad Parscale, building on themes from the America First platform and earlier Republican branding associated with figures such as Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. Early appearances took place at rallies in cities like Hershey, Pennsylvania, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and Topeka, Kansas, and were amplified by allies in media outlets including Fox News, Breitbart News, and The Daily Caller.
As a slogan it functioned within campaign communication strategies used by the Republican National Committee, Trump campaign staff, and affiliated entities such as Make America Great Again Inc., resembling historical slogan cycles seen with Great Society and Morning in America. The phrase was printed on campaign merchandise distributed at events in locations like Charlotte, North Carolina, Des Moines, Iowa, and Phoenix, Arizona, and featured in speeches at venues such as Madison Square Garden and Valley Forge. Its deployment intersected with endorsements from politicians including Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, and Mike Pence, and booster commentary from media personalities like Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and Laura Ingraham.
Although not used in 2016, the slogan became central to the messaging leading into the 2020 United States presidential election as part of a continuity claim from the 2016 United States presidential election victory; campaign operations were coordinated with staffers such as Brad Parscale, Corey Lewandowski, and Bill Stepien and organizations like America First Policies. It appeared alongside policy rollouts in locations including Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Tampa, Florida, and was present during debates involving Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and other Democratic figures. The slogan also featured in grassroots mobilization by groups like Tea Party movement adherents, state Republican parties in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, and during post-election litigation involving attorneys from firms linked to Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell.
Messaging tied to the slogan emphasized continuity on themes promoted by the Trump administration: trade enforcement actions such as tariffs affecting China, renegotiation of treaties like the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement, deregulation overseen by cabinet members including Wilbur Ross and Scott Pruitt, and immigration measures implemented with officials like Stephen Miller and John Kelly. Communications linked the slogan to criminal justice actions including pardons by Donald Trump and appointments of judges confirmed by the United States Senate, while economic claims referenced metrics reported by institutions such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, and Department of Commerce.
Public reaction ranged from enthusiastic support among constituencies represented by politicians such as Ted Cruz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Matt Gaetz to criticism from opponents including Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, and groups like Black Lives Matter and Indivisible. Analysts at think tanks including the Brookings Institution, Heritage Foundation, and Cato Institute debated the slogan's factual grounding relative to data from entities such as the Congressional Budget Office and Federal Reserve Board. Media coverage spanned outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, and The Wall Street Journal, and sparked academic commentary in journals associated with Harvard Kennedy School, Stanford University, and University of Chicago researchers.
The slogan was subject to intellectual property actions and filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office by organizations connected to Donald Trump and private vendors, prompting scrutiny over ownership by entities such as Make America Great Again Inc. and fundraising groups like Trump Victory Committee. Litigation involved law firms with ties to the campaign and raised questions referenced in filings in federal districts including the Southern District of New York and the District of Columbia. Trademark registrations and challenges were covered by legal analysis in publications such as The National Law Journal and discussions among attorneys from firms like Kirkland & Ellis and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.
The slogan's legacy is visible in merchandise collected by institutions including the Smithsonian Institution and private archives linked to Presidential libraries, and in cultural representations across films and television produced by studios like Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, and Netflix. It influenced subsequent Republican messaging in state campaigns in Texas, Florida, and Ohio, and became a subject of study in political science courses at Yale University, Princeton University, and Columbia University. Scholars from institutions such as American University and Georgetown University continue to analyze its role in the broader trajectory of 21st-century American conservatism and media ecosystems.
Category:Political slogans