- May 12, 2015 -
Trump Trademarked Slogan ‘Make America Great Again’ After the 2012 Election
Donald Trump has had enough of other Republicans stealing his tag line, and he's got an unexpected card up his sleeve to get it back: The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
He said Saturday in Greenville, South Carolina that the slogan for his not-yet-launched presidential campaign – 'Make America Great Again' – is turning up in a few too many speeches, including those of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
And documents obtained by Daily Mail Online show that he filed a trademark application to protect it against poachers in the realm of 'political action committee services, namely, promoting public awareness of political issues and fundraising in the field of politics.'
[Ronald Reagan], the 40th U.S. president first popularized the line in 1979, plastering 'Let's Make America Great Again' on posters and buttons. But Trump is well aware of where the line came from: In South Carolina on Saturday, volunteers with his presidential exploratory committee handed out photo cards showing a young Donald shaking hands with the Gipper.
Printed at the bottom was a line from a 1975 Reagan speech – 'Americans are hungry to feel once again a sense of mission and greatness' – and the Trump slogan.
The connection is a conscious one – an homage, not a stealthy attempt to rip off a right-wing icon's legacy – according to a veteran of the Reagan campaign staff who said Monday that as one of the late president's earliest sources of support, Trump has a fair claim to the slogan's use.
