‘Make America Great Again’ is More Than Just a Slogan in Today’s U.S. Politics, Who is it For?

The United States is generously supporting Ukraine, which has been thrust into war due to Russia’s invasion, and Israel, which is battling against the terrorist atrocities of Hamas. Despite the lack of tangible benefits from this support, the majority of the upper class supports President Biden’s policy, believing it is desirable for the U.S., as a leading country of the liberal and democratic camp, to support its value-aligned allies. However, there is growing concern as Republican politicians who follow former U.S. President Trump are criticizing the U.S. government’s simultaneous support policy for Ukraine and Israel (hereafter referred to as U-I). Let’s examine the post-war situation.

One factor that determines a country’s status is its hard power, which can be easily quantified, such as economic and military power. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) size, living standards, and the quality and quantity of military systems are typical examples. In addition, some soft power elements are not easily quantifiable, such as the governance structure of how major decisions are made in a country and trust in the government. The excellence of the education system and cultural influence are included in the latter. Despite its enormous oil reserves, Venezuela is in a state of political disarray, and its economy has collapsed due to strict leftist policies, causing its citizens to flee. This shows that even if a country has strong hard power, it may not help the country’s status or citizen welfare if its soft power is weak. The situation in Russia, a superpower in military force and natural resources, does not seem to be much different.

The U.S. is the world’s largest economic and military power. Despite the continuous internal strife due to racial conflicts, gun and drug problems, and other complex issues, its soft power remains solid overall. Despite frequent elections, the federal government’s governance structure, such as smooth regime changes and separation of powers, has not been incredibly shaken. However, experts view that the U.S.’s relative status is not the same as before due to China’s recent rise, and some point out the weakening of the U.S.’s position as an important cause of the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

However, the erosion of internal threats to weakening U.S. soft power does not seem insignificant. It is the denial of the 2020 election results by former President Trump and his followers who chant the slogan “Make America Great Again! (MAGA).” The way of transferring power in a democratic regime is to hold elections in which party candidates compete, and the winner takes the term of office based on the results and runs the government.

However, it is not trivial if the incumbent president who lost the election refuses to accept the results. It is not uncommon in developing countries with a short tradition of democracy. Still, no one could have imagined this would happen in the United States, which is considered a model of modern democracy. Now, official judicial proceedings have begun in federal and Georgia courts regarding attempts to overturn the election results based on fabricated evidence, and those involved are expected to be dealt with severely. The condemnation of the mob that stormed Congress in 2021, incited by Trump, is almost finished, and it is a matter of course that the conspirators will be put on trial.

As can be seen from Trump’s overwhelming dominance in the Republican candidate group for the 2024 presidential election, MAGA has not retreated but instead has taken over the Republican Party. Bad money has driven out good money. The Republicans became the majority party in the House of Representatives by a small margin of seats (221:212) in the election held at the end of last year, and the House is suffering unprecedented hardship as a result. The trouble began to show in electing the Speaker of the House earlier this year. It should have been over if the majority party supported the candidate elected within the party. Still, a minority of MAGA representatives refused to support Representative Kevin McCarthy of their party, saying he was too ‘mild.’ The 15th plenary session of the House election for the Speaker ended only after various concessions were made. This was a bad omen because a ‘show’ followed as predicted.

When the U.S. debt limit dispute was resolved this summer through negotiations between President Biden and Speaker McCarthy, MAGA representatives ousted McCarthy from the speakership in early October, accusing him of betrayal. Since then, several candidates elected within the party have suffered setbacks or resigned in the plenary session, and the speakership has remained vacant. There was even an attempt to nominate Trump as Speaker, as there is no rule that the Speaker must be a member of the House. On October 25, after much turmoil, Representative Mike Johnson was elected as Speaker, a low-profile MAGA who led various lawsuits to overturn the results immediately after the last election, and he is from a district in Louisiana where Trump’s support is strong.

After taking office, Speaker Johnson passed a bill to support Israel alone, under the condition of cutting the budget that had already passed through Congress to strengthen the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). To anyone, it seems absurd because even Republican senators oppose the single support and support the simultaneous support of U-I. President Biden has announced that he will veto the single support plan. Ignoring the usual procedure of adjusting differences between the two houses based on the passed bill, the Senate is independently preparing a U-I simultaneous support plan. The ultimate beneficiary of the MAGA House’s policy of refusing to support Ukraine, which prioritizes U.S. interests, is Putin, the perpetrator of the invasion. Considering this situation, the MAGA slogan may seem synonymous with MRGA or ‘Make Russia Great Again.’ Trump, who admires Putin, wouldn’t dislike it.

The IRS-related budget has nothing to do with the tax rate that determines the tax burden of companies or individuals. It was set to supplement the fact that IRS personnel and equipment are ridiculously insufficient to collect already determined taxes properly, causing delays in related work and preventing proper tax audits. Politically neutral professional agencies recognize this need, which we intend to review next time.

The wars in Europe and the Middle East vividly show that the threat to the liberal and democratic camp is not abstract but a severe reality. It is in the long-term interest of the United States to solidify the values and territories of the free camp. Nevertheless, MAGA refers to people with this worldview as ‘Globalists,’ which sounds polite but is actually used as a swear word equivalent to ‘selling out the country.’ The behavior of MAGA itself is a soft power destroyer that worries allies and comforts enemies.

Despite the ongoing trial, if Trump becomes the next president, there is a high likelihood that he will demand a large amount of money from South Korea as a fee for providing a nuclear umbrella and for the cost of U.S. troops stationed in Korea. South Korea may have to consider reducing the burden through independent nuclear possession. It cannot be a welcome scenario.

By. Heo Chan Kook