How did MAGA take over the Republican party? How Donald Trump became the GOP candidate again
Eight years after becoming the Republican presidential candidate, Trump is seeking to once again take control of the White House thanks to MAGA.
It’s been eight years since Donald Trump surpassed expectations and became the presidential candidate to represent the Republican Party in the 2016 election. After losing in 2020 to Joe Biden, the former president hopes to emerge as the winner of the 2024 election and once again to take control of the reins of power in the United States.
Trump announced his candidacy in June 2015, and although political analysts and many Americans initially did not take his campaign seriously, he quickly began to lead the polls and became the favorite. He was declared the Republican presidential candidate in May 2016, backed by the MAGA movement.
‘Make America Great Again’, abbreviated as MAGA, is a slogan popularized by Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign, which quickly became a phenomenon and now a major movement supporting the former president.
In the 2016 election, Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton by garnering 304 electoral votes to her 227, although she won the popular vote. As the 45th President of the United States, Trump was inaugurated on January 20, 2017, and ended his term on January 20, 2021, having failed to secure a second term. Eight years after his first bid, the Republican is seeking to defeat Kamala Harris.
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MAGA and Trump, back for the 2024 presidential elections
The Republican Party decided to continue with the same slogan ‘Make America Great Again’ in these elections. In November 2022, Trump made his candidacy for the presidency of the United States for 2024 official.
“In order to make America great and glorious again, I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States... I am running because I believe the world has not yet seen the true glory of what this nation can be... We will again put America first,” he shared in a speech from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida.
After more than a year of campaigning and despite refusing to participate in party debates, in March of this year, the former president became the only Republican in the race after Nikki Haley withdrew.
In July, at the Republican National Convention (RNC), Trump was declared the official presidential nominee. At the event, the former president also announced Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate.
“Together, we will save this country, we will restore the republic, and we will usher in the rich and wonderful tomorrows that our people so truly deserve. America’s future will be bigger, better, bolder, brighter, happier, stronger, freer, greater and more united than ever before,” the former president said in his acceptance speech for the nomination.
His recent candidacy has been embroiled in several controversies due to the various legal cases he faces. For example, in May, Trump was found guilty of 34 charges of falsifying business records. However, the candidate has the support of MAGA, which has intensified since 2016.
A 2018 Reuters/Ipsos poll asked Trump voters what the phrase “Make America Great Again” meant to them. Most voters said MAGA stands for “stronger borders,” a “better economy” and “lower taxes.” Several also said it simply stands for “Donald Trump.”