In American politics, no one has a better sense of branding than President Donald Trump. In terms of positive messaging, “Make America Great Again” will be a tough act to follow for the Republican nominee’s campaign in 2028. It’s probably the most powerful conservative slogan in my lifetime, and I think it’s better than candidate Barack Obama’s unofficial campaign theme, “hope and change” in 2008.
Still, the power of both of these lines stemmed from the ease with which they captured the agenda of the candidate, and the accuracy and truthfulness in the inherent promises they made. Each served as an overarching roadmap to each of their respective two terms as president.
Like it or not, Obama did offer hope, and he did affect change. The problem is his intentional efforts to transform and destroy America as we know it killed hope for many, and it did effect change. So much so that we’re still trying to undo his damage. In fact, Obama’s slumlord approach to running the country is primarily what necessitated the need to “Make America great again.”
Of course, on the combative side of the political equation, no one has ever been better at branding his opponents than Trump. His branding of Jeb Bush in the 2016 primaries as “Low energy Jeb” practically ended Bush’s political career all by itself. From there, he would go on to define Hillary Clinton as “Crooked Hillary,” Joe Biden as “Sleepy Joe,” and who could forget his political branding masterwork when he dubbed Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) “Pocahontas.”
This stuff works. It’s not like the left isn’t doing this already. Back when the left wanted to greenlight same-sex marriage, its slogan and the accompanying memes fell under the banner, “Love is love.” In the twisted and dishonest world of normalizing transgenderism, the left wrapped that lie up in such mantras as, “Trans rights are human rights,” and “Protect trans kids.” Sure, these are intellectually and morally dishonest statements, but in the current world in which we live, they help to galvanize support and define the terms for public debate on a given issue. When you think about it, denying that men can be women is not a violation of anyone’s human rights, and if you show me a “trans kid,” I’ll show you a groomed kid. Most people don’t think that deeply on these issues, and that works for the sloganeers.
On the gun control front, the left switched the terminology to “gun violence,” and subsequently introduced the concept of “common-sense gun control laws,” as though taking away your Second Amendment rights is nothing more than common sense.
Then, of course, is the granddaddy arena of political messaging, the environment. First, it was “global cooling,” but when it appeared that wasn’t quite right, it changed to “global warming.” When that wasn’t working out, the left threw its hands up in the air and came up with the ultimate BS line, “Climate change.” Now, every time the weather weathers, even if it’s just seasonal change, it reinforces the left’s messaging.
Legislatively, the left branded its climate change agenda as “The Green New Deal” (GND). Once seen as far-fetched on both sides, steadily, the GND has seeped into the very DNA of the Democrat party.
The Republicans need to take a page from Trump and from the left by simplifying the message on the SAVE America Act. To quite literally save America from a one-party system, the Republicans need to better package the message with one strong line. No one is better equipped to change the way Americans think about Voter ID than Trump.
For the sake of discussion, I’d offer up my own stab at a working theme line, one that needs to be pounded home every chance we get:
“Show your face, show your place.”
Who could have a problem with expecting someone to have to show their face and address when they want to vote? Only people who want to cheat, we all know. So, the point is, the SAVE Act is about nothing more than having to prove who you are and where you live when you cast your ballot to vote.
Intellectually and morally, the Republicans have just about everyone in America on their side except for the Democrat Party and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.). No one has done more to undermine this attempt to preserve democratic voting than Thune has of late.
Maybe my attempt at a slogan needs some work, but I think you get the idea. I mean, even the miserable Cajun codger James Carville admits we need voter ID.
💥NEW: James Carville calls on Dems to *PASS* national voter ID law💥
“We are NOT gonna win the war against some kind of a ID … EVERY poll shows 75% or better say we should have some kind of a ID to vote … just quit fighting and go along with it!” pic.twitter.com/rrjkJlHKiU
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) July 23, 2026
When you see someone like Carville go public on an issue like this, the battle is Thune’s to lose. All we need now is for Trump to become the Trump from the campaign trail. The guy who knows how to close the deal with the American people. Someone who can win on an issue in six words or fewer.
It’s Trump time.
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