Since his 2016 presidential campaign, the acronym MAGA has been associated with President Donald Trump.
The letters stand for "Make America Great Again" based on the concept that the United States needed Trump to restore it to some former glory.
Amongst his supporters the phrase—and the merchandise—was a hit.
Red hats filled massive arenas, if you believe the hype.
But as his presidency went on, someone pointed out that if "America" still needed to be made great, didn't that mean Trump's presidency was a failure?
A new just as catchy slogan and acronym were needed. The first suggestion was "Promises Made, Promise Kept."
But that just invited ridicule over every campaign promise made and not kept, like building a wall paid for by Mexico and locking up former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Plus PMPK?
A LITTLE too similar to pumpkin...
So someone came up with the riff off MAGA of "Keep America Great" thereby declaring the Trump presidency successful and KAG was so easy to say and spell and chant...
There's only one small problem that hardcore Trekkies (me, people like me) recognized right away and it involved these guys.
Look up KAG.org online and you'll find an organization that far predates keeping Trump's America great.
KAG.org
Klingons!
Klingons as far as the eye can see in the Klingon Assault Group boasting 30 YEARS of existence.
KAG (Klingon Assault Group) saves @VulcanTVNetwork reporter from @StarTrek 3 Microbes from Spocks coffin during… https://t.co/8dQ5UYHuNP— Federation of Beer (@Federation of Beer) 1532886414.0
KAG member Quvar (Lieven L. Litaer) has had his Klingon translation of "The Little Prince" published! Check out th… https://t.co/Wf1tAY53xn— KlingonAssaultGroup (@KlingonAssaultGroup) 1533851659.0
They're sort of the Trekkie version of the 501st Legion of Stormtroopers, only KAG was here first. 501st Legion was founded in 1997; KAG in 1989.
In your FACE Star Wars!
Trekkies for the win!
Actually, I love them both so calm down Klingons.
Anyhoo...
As Trump formally announced his 2020 presidential run, his campaign began to push KAG hard to stop the MAGA digs—like, wasn't he going to MAGA when elected in 2016—in their tracks. Plus there's the matter of a few domestic terrorists who embraced the concept and merchandise and rhetoric....
Suddenly MAGA profiles on Twitter were swapping their acronym to KAG and that inside Trekkie joke started going mainstream.
@TheEllenShow @realDonaldTrump just changed his slogan from #MAGA to #KAG (Keep America Great) Only thing is...… https://t.co/kK769OyJUK— Jessie Blue 🧢 (@Jessie Blue 🧢) 1520731285.0
@mviser From MAGA to KAG to Plagiarism. Oh wait. That's right. MAGA was plagiarized too! The only one Trump can c… https://t.co/UloSifuW2w— Molly in NY: Lather. Resist. Repeat. ♿ 🗽🩸🦷 (@Molly in NY: Lather. Resist. Repeat. ♿ 🗽🩸🦷) 1549950418.0
@realDonaldTrump So not MAGA it’s now KAG ! I have to say it’s not as catchy. Sounds quite Klingon in its way. Have… https://t.co/VOxXeyto9D— Ralph Murdoch (@Ralph Murdoch) 1556105790.0
@realDonaldTrump @TeamTrump @TrumpWarRoom @parscale @kayleighmcenany @TimMurtaugh @marc_lotter Gotta tell ya, KAG d… https://t.co/ek0UwqZgJc— _Black None More (@_Black None More) 1561657440.0
So I looked up #KAG and was amused to see it originally meant Klingon Assault Group back in 2011. MAGA must then *… https://t.co/Uv6zu9kC1A— ❄🌎Aqualyra© (@❄🌎Aqualyra©) 1564933237.0
@DanScavino @realDonaldTrump Aren't video games bad? KAG Acronym KAGKapitalanlagegesellschaft (German: Capital In… https://t.co/osc4NujE0N— Blanche ⁷ 블랑쉬💜🧈💜버터 5 월 21 일💜 (@Blanche ⁷ 블랑쉬💜🧈💜버터 5 월 21 일💜) 1566047268.0
And while the folks at the original KAG have yet to file a formal protest, it doesn't look like the MAGA-KAG crowd is going to quite jive with the Klingon Assault Group's worldview.
Today marks 50 years since the Stonewall Riots (#Stonewall50), a very important landmark for the LGBT community. Ev… https://t.co/voiJX989tF— Star Trek Starships (@Star Trek Starships) 1561742147.0
Anyway, as the Klingons and the Trekkies say:
"qaStaHvIS yIn 'ej chep!"
The book How to Speak Klingon: Essential Phrases for the Intergalactic Traveler is available here.
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