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To: BroJoeK

MAGA is Trump
Trump is MAGA


Get your facts straight: Trump borrowed “MAGA” from Reagan. Conservatism has always been about policy and agenda. Not Dear Leader populism.


115 posted on 08/09/2026 8:41:24 AM PDT by lodi90
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To: lodi90

“”Get your facts straight: Trump borrowed “MAGA” from Reagan. Conservatism has always been about policy and agenda. Not Dear Leader populism.””

***

That was then, this is now and now... MAGA is, in fact, representative of Trump... as it was representative of Reagan when Reagan was in the WH.

And btw, you said that like it’s a bad thing, to have borrowed from Reagan, one of THE best presidents in US history. Why is that, I wonder....? Is “”Dear Leader populism”” only a bad thing to you if/when it’s a Republican?


122 posted on 08/09/2026 9:06:16 AM PDT by Danie_2023 (I'm America First, but I stand by Israel and against 'anyone' that acts against America or Israel.)
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To: lodi90; GingisK; Candor7; trebb; RandFan; Gen.Blather; ReganFan4ever; central_va
lodi90: "Get your facts straight: Trump borrowed “MAGA” from Reagan.
Conservatism has always been about policy and agenda.
Not Dear Leader populism."

Ronald Reagan's campaign themes in 1980 included:

  1. The economy: "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"

  2. Carter's weakness: "The Time Is Now for Strong Leadership."

  3. Foreign Policy: "Peace Through Strength"

  4. Reduce Big Government: "Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem."

  5. General uplift: "Let's Make America Great Again"
MAGA was not the central theme of Reagan's 1980 campaign and was dropped in 1982, 1984 and 1986.

In 1984, Reagan's campaign themes were:

  1. "Morning in America"

  2. "Bringing America Back"

  3. "Prouder, Stronger, and Better"
Unlike Pres. Trump, Reagan's "Let's Make America Great Again" was not his central theme and unifying idea, it was an afterthought used as nice words on campaign buttons.
And it was quickly dropped and forgotten after the 1980 campaign.

By stark contrast, MAGA is Trump's major theme and purpose, carried forward through three presidential elections and their mid-terms over the past 10+ years.
It was not just one & done, it's been his slogan and focus from Day One.

So, MAGA absolutely belongs to Pres. Trump -- it's his to define and to accomplish.
Any future candidates & administrations claiming the MAGA mantle will be judged by how closely they follow Trump's definitions of what MAGA is & should be.

Yes, of course, if you wish to claim that MAGA is not truly conservative according to your definition of "conservative", that's an argument you can make -- you can easily claim, "we are the true conservatives" (if indeed you really are), but you cannot claim "we are the true MAGA", because that term belongs to Donald Trump -- it's his to define and to bestow on loyal supporters.

If you're not one, then you need your own slogan, it's can't be MAGA.


151 posted on 08/10/2026 4:11:22 AM PDT by BroJoeK (future DDG 134 -- we remember)
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