https://doi.
org/10.
26593/jihi.
Reviving the Nation: A Lacanian Perspective on TrumpAos MAGA Fantasy Imelda Masni Juniaty Sianipar1,2 Aarce Tehupeiory2,3 Department of International Relations.
Universitas Kristen Indonesia Doctor of Law Program.
Universitas Kristen Indonesia Center for Social Justice and Global Responsibility.
Universitas Kristen Indonesia
ABSTRACT
This article analyses Donald Trump's power fantasies centered on his "Make America Great Again (MAGA)" campaign.
In his 2017 inauguration.
Trump depicted the U.
as a nation in decline, needing This study shows that TrumpAos MAGA narrative is crafted to address perceived national decay.
Using descriptive qualitative methods and LacanAos psychoanalytic theory, the research examines Trump's speeches and statements to understand this narrative.
By attributing the nation's problems to external and internal pressures, the MAGA message aligns with public anxieties and creates antagonisms.
The findings reveal that this narrative reinforces Trump's political power and shapes national identity with promises of returning to past greatness.
Trump positions himself as a symbolic "Big Other," a savior who resolves perceived threats and restores order.
The MAGA narrative taps into collective desires for identity, belonging, and control, uniting supporters through shared grievances and externalized blame.
This appeal resonates with deep psychological needs, creating cycles of temporary satisfaction and deferred fulfillment, which sustains loyalty and hope.
Keywords: Political Fantasies.
National Revival.
Make America Great Again.
Lacanian Psychoanalysis.
Antagonism ABSTRAK Artikel ini menganalisis fantasi kekuasaan Donald Trump yang berpusat pada kampanye "Make America Great Again (MAGA)".
Dalam pidato pelantikannya tahun 2017.
Trump menggambarkan AS sebagai negara yang sedang merosot dan memerlukan pemulihan.
Studi ini menunjukkan bahwa narasi MAGA dirancang untuk merespons persepsi kemunduran nasional.
Dengan metode deskriptif kualitatif dan teori psikoanalisis Lacan, penelitian ini menganalisis pidato dan pernyataan Trump untuk memahami konstruksi narasi tersebut.
Dengan mengaitkan masalah negara dengan tekanan eksternal dan internal, pesan MAGA selaras dengan kecemasan publik dan menciptakan antagonisme.
Temuan menunjukkan bahwa narasi ini memperkuat kekuasaan politik Trump dan membentuk identitas nasional dengan janji kembali ke kejayaan masa lalu.
Trump memposisikan dirinya sebagai simbol "Big Other", penyelamat yang mengatasi ancaman dan memulihkan Narasi MAGA meresap ke dalam keinginan kolektif akan identitas, rasa memiliki, dan kontrol, menyatukan pendukungnya melalui keluhan bersama dan pengalihan kesalahan ke pihak luar.
Daya tarik ini beresonansi dengan kebutuhan psikologis yang mendalam, menciptakan siklus kepuasan sementara dan pemenuhan yang tertunda, yang mempertahankan loyalitas dan harapan.
Kata Kunci: Fantasi Politik.
Kebangkitan Nasional.
MAGA.
Psikoanalisis Lacanian.
Antagonisme Introduction Donald Trump revolutionized American politics with his populist "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) slogan, which became the central theme of his 2016 presidential campaign.
His victory in securing the Republican nomination for President came as a surprise to many, including perhaps Trump himself.
1 Trump skillfully tapped into widespread frustrations with globalization, economic inequality, and the perceived erosion of American values, portraying the U.
as weakened by political elites and external pressures such as immigration and unfair trade practices.
Dennis Tourish.
AuIt Is Time to Use the F Word about Trump: Fascism.
Populism and the Rebirth of History,Ay Leadership 20, 1 .
: 9Ae32, https://doi.
org/10.
1177/17427150231210732.
30 Imelda Masni Juniaty Sianipar.
Aarce Tehupeior.
Reviving the Nation: A Lacanian Perspective on TrumpAos MAGA Fantasy Positioning himself as the leader to reverse this decline.
Trump promised to restore the nationAos former glory by prioritizing domestic interests and reducing international commitments.
In his inaugural address as the 45th President of the United States.
Trump emphasized returning power to the people, stating:
TodayAos ceremony, however, has very special meaning.
Because today we are not merely transferring power from one Administration to another, or from one party to another Ae but we are transferring power from Washington.
and giving it back to you, the American People.
TrumpAos political narrative invoked a nostalgic vision of an idealized American past characterized by economic strength, military power, and cultural dominance.
The MAGA campaign emerged as a powerful force, promising economic protectionism, stricter immigration policies, and a return to traditional American values.
3 The slogan resonated deeply with voters who felt marginalized by globalization and cultural shifts, as Trump pointed to external forces and political elites as causes of AmericaAos decline.
This narrative was further reinforced by TrumpAos controversial statements linking demographic changes to national decline, which many commentators argued appealed to White Americans longing for a less diverse past.
Exit polls from the 2016 election supported this view, showing that White voters favored Trump over Hillary Clinton by a 20-point margin.
Post-election analyses identified opposition to increasing non-White populations and anti-globalization sentiments as significant drivers of his support.
For many of TrumpAos followers.
MAGA was a promise to return to an era marked by overt racial and gender hierarchiesAia promise on which Trump appeared committed to delivering.
The concept of fantasy is rarely discussed in mainstream political theory.
5 McMillan .
contributes to the understanding of TrumpAos MAGA fantasy by describing it as an influential political tool that responds to disruptions in American identity and the myth of exceptionalism by promising a return to an idealized past.
This narrative identifies antagonistic forces to explain perceived losses and positions Trump as the leader capable of restoring the nation.
However.
McMillan notes that such fantasies are not unique to Trump.
they are common political strategies that can be adopted by different ideologies, including Democratic movements, to address and reshape national identity.
6 This article goes further by using Jacques LacanAos psychoanalytic theory to explain how and why such political fantasies are created and maintained.
This deeper understanding reveals that political fantasies, like MAGA, resonate not just because of their surface promises but because they tap into deeper psychological needs and desires within the collective consciousness.
AuThe Inaugural AddressAy (The White House.
January 20, 2.
, https://trumpwhitehouse.
gov/briefings-statements/the-inaugural-address/.
Jason Breckenridge.
AuMake America Great Again (MAGA): The Covert Call for ColonialismAos Comeback,Ay 2024, ssrn:
https://ssrn.
com/abstrac.
Paul Krugman.
AuWhen MAGA Fantasy Meets Rust Belt RealityAy (The New York Times.
November 29, 2.
, https://w.
com/2018/11/29/opinion/maga-trump-manufacturing.
Jason Glynos and Yannis Stavrakakis.
AuLacan and Political Subjectivity: Fantasy and Enjoyment in Psychoanalysis and Political Theory,Ay Subjectivity 24, no.
: 256Ae74, https://doi.
org/10.
1057/sub.
Chris McMillan.
AuMakeAmericaGreatAgain: Ideological Fantasy.
American Exceptionalism and Donald Trump,Ay Subjectivity 10, no.
: 204Ae22, https://doi.
org/10.
1057/s41286-017-0024-z.
31 Imelda Masni Juniaty Sianipar.
Aarce Tehupeior.
Reviving the Nation: A Lacanian Perspective on TrumpAos MAGA Fantasy Recent studies show that populism is shaped not only by economic 7 8 and political factors 9 10 but also by psychological dynamics and collective fantasies.
Marie Rudden and Stephanie Brandt .
offer one of the earlier contributions by highlighting group-level psychoanalytic processes that help explain the strong loyalty of TrumpAos supporters.
13 Florentina Andreescu .
expands this view by demonstrating how cultural shifts, from a disciplinary society to one organized around enjoyment, and from symbolic authority to a culture of spectacle, create affective conditions that intensify the appeal of populist figures.
14 Stefan Bird-Pollan .
further argues that populism arises from clashes between different conceptions of autonomy situated along a continuum of self-determination.
15 Most recently.
Karin Johanna Zienert-Eilts .
deepens the psychoanalytic perspective with her concept of Auperverted containing,Ay explaining how regression into a paranoidAeschizoid mode disrupts democratic containment and strengthens destructive leaderAefollower 16 Together, these studies illuminate the symbolic and affective landscape in which contemporary populism develops.
Nevertheless, the literature still contains a notable lacuna, with very few works apply Lacanian theory to explain how TrumpAos political fantasies are produced, circulated, and emotionally sustained in public discourse.
This gap is crucial, since the force of TrumpAos appeal does not lie only in his protectionist, isolationist, or confrontational policy positions.
It also lies in the fantasy structures that organize feelings of loss, anger, and hope among his supporters.
This article argues that the core of TrumpAos political appeal can be better understood through LacanAos concepts of lack, big other, mirror, objet petit a, antagonism, desire and jouissance as well as Through a close reading of his key speeches, the study shows how Trump constructs a narrative of a nation that has been robbed, a future that can be restored, and a leader who is positioned as the symbolic point of return for a wounded collective identity.
Understanding this fantasy is crucial, as TrumpAos populist rhetoric continues to shape American politics.
His protectionist, isolationist, and confrontational stances draw strength from a shared vision of national decline and revival.
revealing how these fantasies work beneath surface-level appeals and persist through symbolic and psychological mechanisms, the study broadens the understanding of political campaigns through a psychoanalytic lens.
Dani Rodrik.
AuPopulism and The Economics of Globalization,Ay Journal of International Business Policy 1, no.
1Ae2 .
12Ae33, https://doi.
org/10.
1057/s42214-018-0001-4.
Rudiger Dornbusch and Sebastian Edwards.
AuMacroeconomics Populism,Ay Journal of Development Economics 32 .
247Ae77, https://doi.
org/10.
2307/2234264.
Kurt Weyland.
AuClarifying a Contested Concept: Populism in the Study of Latin American Politics,Ay Comparative Politics 34, no.
: 1Ae22, https://doi.
org/10.
2307/422412.
Cas Mudde.
AuPopulism: An Ideational Approach,Ay in The Oxford Handbook of Populism, ed.
Pierre Kaltwasser.
Cristybal Rovira.
Taggart.
Paul.
Espejo.
Paulina Ochoa.
Ostiguy (Oxford University Press, 2.
, https://doi.
org/10.
1093/oxfordhb/9780198803560.
Weyland.
AuClarifying a Contested Concept: Populism in the Study of Latin American Politics.
Ay Mudde.
AuPopulism: An Ideational Approach.
Ay Marie Rudden and Stephanie Brandt.
AuDonald Trump as Leader: Psychoanalytic Perspectives,Ay Int J Appl Psychoanal Studies, 2018, 1Ae9, https://doi.
org/https://doi.
org/10.
1002/aps.
Florentina C Andreescu.
AuDonald TrumpAos Appeal: A Socio-Psychoanalytic Analysis,Ay Journal for Cultural Research 23, 4 .
: 348Ae64, https://doi.
org/10.
1080/14797585.
Stefan Bird-Pollan.
AuA Psychoanalytic Conceptual Framework for Understanding Populism,Ay Philosophy \& Social Criticism 49, no.
: 35Ae59, https://doi.
org/10.
1177/01914537211040570.
Karin Johanna Zienert-Eilts.
AuDestructive Populism as AoPerverted ContainingAo: A Psychoanalytical Look at the Attraction of Donald Trump,Ay The International Journal of Psychoanalysis 101, no.
: 971Ae91, https://doi.
org/10.
1080/00207578.
32 Imelda Masni Juniaty Sianipar.
Aarce Tehupeior.
Reviving the Nation: A Lacanian Perspective on TrumpAos MAGA Fantasy Jacques LacanAos psychoanalytic theory Jacques Lacan developed psychoanalytic theory by emphasizing that humans are born in a state of incompleteness, which he terms lack.
17 From the earliest moments of life, we experience separation from what once felt whole, producing an enduring sense that something essential is missing.
This lack is not a flaw to be repaired but the very condition that makes us human.
It is the silent engine that drives our search for meaning, recognition, and belonging.
This search begins in the mirror stage, when the infant first encounters its reflection and identifies with the image.
The image appears coherent, complete, and controlled, qualities the infant does not yet possess internally.
This moment of misrecognition creates an idealized version of the self, a template of wholeness that the subject will pursue throughout life.
From this point on, identity is never discovered but continually constructed through images, roles, and figures that promise to restore that early sense of unity.
As we grow, we enter the Symbolic order, the world of language, rules, and shared meanings governed by what Lacan calls the Big Other.
The Big Other is societyAos invisible authority such as institutions, norms, moral codes, and cultural narratives.
It tells us how to speak, behave, and understand ourselves.
We depend on the Big Other to stabilize our world, to assure us that things make Yet because no institution is ever perfect, the Big Other inevitably cracks.
When it fails, doubt and anxiety arise, creating openings for new sources of meaning.
Inside this symbolic landscape, we pursue an elusive object that Lacan names objet petit a, the object-cause of desire which is not the object itself but what evokes and maintains desire.
18 Lacan identifies desire as a continuous drive, a fundamental longing that is never fully satisfied.
19 It is not a tangible thing but the shimmering promise that something Auout thereAy will finally complete us such as success, love, national greatness, or redemption.
Because this object is always out of reach, it keeps desire alive.
The subject moves from one imagined solution to another, never arriving, always longing.
To make this longing livable, we weave fantasy.
Fantasy becomes the primary mechanism through which desire is articulated and sustained.
Lacan explains that fantasy frames reality within an imagined narrative that offers the illusion of fulfillment, even though the object of desire remains 20 Through fantasy, we come to believe that if only we obtain a certain job, partner, leader, or political project, the gap at the center of life will close.
Yet even when these fantasies fail, we remain attached, because they offer not just meaning but jouissance, a form of intense, sometimes troubling enjoyment.
Jouissance emerges in the thrill of striving, in the drama of conflict, and in the emotional charge of identification.
It is the pleasure we take in our desires, even when they bring frustration.
In Lacanian thought, the subject is thus propelled by lack, shaped by images, stabilized by symbolic authority, driven by unattainable objects, organized by fantasy, and energized by jouissance.
Together, these elements form the dynamic structure through which humans make sense of both themselves and their political worlds.
FantasyAU The concept of fantasy remains a subject of ongoing debate 21, yet in this research it is grounded in the psychoanalytic traditions of Freud and Lacan.
In 1897.
Freud discovered that many patientsAo reports of childhood seduction were not actual memories but fantasies created by the mind.
Kirk Turner.
AuLacanAos Fantasy: The Birth of the Clinical Concept,Ay International Journal of iek Studies 11, no.
Jacques Lacan.
The Seminar of Jacques Lacan.
Book XI.
The Four Fundamental Concepts of Psychoanalysis, ed.
Jacques Alain-Miller, trans.
Alan Sheridan (W.
Norton & Company, 1.
Rex Butler and Slavoj iek.
The iek Dictionary (Routledge, 2.
Butler and iek.
Jason Glynos.
AuFantasy and Identity in Critical Political Theory,Ay Filozofski Vestnik 32, no.
: 65Ae88.
33 Imelda Masni Juniaty Sianipar.
Aarce Tehupeior.
Reviving the Nation: A Lacanian Perspective on TrumpAos MAGA Fantasy This shifted the understanding of fantasy, previously seen as mere distortion, fantasy became, for Freud, a psychological mechanism through which the mind expresses conflicts, desires, and frustrations that cannot be articulated directly.
In Lacanian theory, fantasy represents the paradoxical relationship between the AobarredAo or AocastratedAo Subject ($) and the imaginary object of desire, lAoobjet petit autre .
22 LacanAos matheme for neurotic fantasy is:
Figure 1: LacanAos fantasy formula23 This formula shows the impossible yet necessary relation between the barred Subject ($), marked by a sense of lack, and object a, the object-cause of desire.
The diamond symbol or lozenge .
(O) envelopment-development-conjunction-disjunction, includes alienation (O) and separation (O), greater than (>), less than (<), and so on, emphasizing the tension between the subject and the object a, which is central in Lacanian theory because it functions as the cause of desire, the element that keeps desire alive and prevents it from ever being fully satisfied.
Fantasy functions as the screen that stabilizes the subjectAos identity by covering the void at its It offers a narrative that bridges the symbolic order .
anguage, law, norm.
and the real .
hat resists symbolizatio.
Through this structure, fantasy shields the subject from anxiety caused by the absence of an ultimate guarantee such as God.
Reason.
Nation, or History, while simultaneously sustaining desire by staging a scenario in which fulfilment appears attainable.
This structure extends beyond the individual and becomes fully political when shared Fantasy organizes public emotions by framing obstacles such as immigrants, elites, conspirators, or economic decline, as the barriers preventing fullness.
The fantasy works by promising that once these obstacles are removed, satisfaction will follow.
This promise produces jouissance, a morally ambiguous enjoyment that emerges not only from the fantasy of fulfilment but also from confronting, punishing, or expelling the perceived obstacle.
Populist rhetoric becomes effective when it taps directly into this structure.
It turns diffuse anxieties into a coherent narrative, linking personal frustrations to broader antagonisms.
Fantasies serve as a hinge between cherished ideals and the darker, often disavowed dimensions of political life, organizing collective identity and motivating action.
TrumpAos AuMake America Great AgainAy perfectly illustrates this mechanism.
His discourse constructs a fantasy of a stolen greatness, a wounded nation deprived of its symbolic coherence.
Immigrants.
Muslims, global elites, and foreign competitors are framed as the object-obstacles preventing national wholeness.
27 In Lacanian terms.
Trump positions himself within the fantasy structure as the agent who can realign the relationship $ O a, promising to restore what was lost.
This political fantasy mobilizes desire, stabilizes identity, and produces jouissance, transforming populist rhetoric into a powerful engine of affective and electoral mobilization.
James S Ormrod.
Fantasy and Social Movements (Palgrave Macmillan, 2.
Ormrod.
Ormrod.
Glynos.
AuFantasy and Identity in Critical Political Theory.
Ay Glynos and Stavrakakis.
AuLacan and Political Subjectivity: Fantasy and Enjoyment in Psychoanalysis and Political Theory.
Ay Glynos.
AuFantasy and Identity in Critical Political Theory.
Ay Glynos.
34 Imelda Masni Juniaty Sianipar.
Aarce Tehupeior.
Reviving the Nation: A Lacanian Perspective on TrumpAos MAGA Fantasy Methodology This study employs a descriptive qualitative method alongside Jacques LacanAos psychoanalytic theory to examine Donald TrumpAos construction of the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) The studyAos primary data include full-text official speeches from reputable and verifiable government archives, including https://w.
https://w.
gov/ and https://w.
gov/, selected for rhetorical significance.
MAGA messaging, and themes of nationalism and populism.
These cover campaign rallies .
5Ae2.
, the 2016 Republican National Convention (RNC) acceptance speech, and the 2017 Inaugural Address to identify how themes such as nationalism, decline, threat, and antagonism are deployed to frame a vision of national revival.
Secondary data from scholarly publications and reputable media contextualize TrumpAos discourse.
All texts were verified and organized chronologically.
Analytical Procedures The analysis followed three stages.
First, initial coding identified key themes in TrumpAos speeches, such as nationalism, threat construction, decline, restoration, and antagonism, capturing recurring rhetorical patterns.
Second, thematic categorization grouped these codes into broader categories like Aunational decline,Ay Auenemy construction,Ay Aunationalism,Ay and Aurevival,Ay highlighting consistent narrative structures across speeches.
Third.
Lacanian concepts were applied to analyze TrumpAos speeches.
Passages portraying America as weakened, such as AuOur country is in declineAy, were coded as Lack.
Representations of a strong, idealized nation, like AuWe will make America great againAy, reflected the Mirror Stage.
Appeals to authority and national identity, for example AuI will protect American jobs and bordersAy, were analyzed as the Big Other, while concrete symbols like Authe wallAy or the slogan AuAmerica FirstAy functioned as Objet petit a.
Promises of restored greatness were coded as Desire, narratives framing threats as surmountable, such as AuWe will defeat our enemies and protect our peopleAy, as Fantasy, and public emotional reactionsAicheers and applause were interpreted as Jouissance.
This approach highlights how Trump constructs populist political fantasy through language, symbols, and collective affect.
To ensure the validity and reliability of the analysis, two key strategies were prioritized.
Triangulation was employed by cross-referencing interpretations with secondary literature on populism, political psychology, and discourse studies, ensuring that findings were grounded in established scholarship.
Peer debriefing involved consultation with two independent readers who reviewed coding decisions and thematic interpretations, helping to verify consistency and reduce subjective bias.
Together, these strategies strengthened the credibility and trustworthiness of the studyAos analytical process.
Analysis AU Barred Subject ($): Fragmented Identity and National Crisis Donald TrumpAos Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement has evolved into a powerful expression of nostalgia, identity, and desire within American politics.
Introduced on June 16, 2015, when Trump announced his candidacy, the slogan AuMake America Great AgainAy resonated with a vision of reclaiming what many see as a lost period of American strength and prosperity.
29 In his 2015 presidential campaign.
Donald Trump boldly stated that the United States, once a leading global power, was now "in serious trouble.
" 30 He attributed the nationAos economic struggles to external forces, particularly competition from China and Japan, and vowed to "bring back our jobs and money.
Breckenridge.
AuMake America Great Again (MAGA): The Covert Call for ColonialismAos Comeback.
Ay Paul K.
MacDonald.
AuAmerica First? Explaining Continuity and Change in TrumpAos Foreign Policy,Ay Political Science Quarterly 133, no.
: 401Ae34, https://doi.
org/10.
1002/polq.
35 Imelda Masni Juniaty Sianipar.
Aarce Tehupeior.
Reviving the Nation: A Lacanian Perspective on TrumpAos MAGA Fantasy Trump also emphasized the need for a stronger military, pledging to be tougher on the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) than any previous leader.
On immigration, he took a hardline stance, arguing that it had increased crime and reduced job opportunities.
Famously, he claimed.
AuWhen Mexico sends its people, theyAore not sending their best.
TheyAore bringing drugs.
TheyAore bringing crime.
TheyAore Ay 31 He promised to build a wall along the U.
-Mexico border, portraying it as essential to protecting American security and restoring its lost greatness.
The message was clear: Trump alone had the vision and strength to "Make America Great Again.
As the campaign progressed.
Trump expanded his focus on restoring AmericaAos global In a 2016 interview with Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, he underscored the need to regain the respect the United States had lost on the world stage.
AuThere is a tremendous lack of respect for our country,Ay Trump stated, adding.
AuPeople have respected me.
My life has been a life where IAove been respected.
I want them to respect our country.
I want them to respect our leader.
Ay 32 For Trump, his personal success and the respect he commanded were central to his argument that he was uniquely qualified to restore America's international standing.
This vision culminated in his inauguration on January 20, 2017, where Trump delivered a fiery, nationalist speech that reinforced his populist message.
33 He painted a grim picture of the nation's state, describing AuAmerican carnageAyAia decaying infrastructure, lost jobs, and a weakened military.
Spector .
noted that TrumpAos portrayal of crisis, symbolized by AoAmerican carnage,Ao served to position himself as the sole solution to these challenges.
Many seemed ready to embrace this 34 Trump promised to return power to the people by confronting the Washington elite, revitalizing manufacturing, and bolstering the military.
He reached out directly to Americans, emphasizing unity and shared purpose:
"We are one nation Ae and their pain is our pain.
Their dreams are our dreams.
and their success will be our success.
We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny.
" 35
Trump promised to end years of foreign entanglements that had come at the expense of domestic renewal.
He proclaimed.
AuFrom this day forward, itAos going to be only America first.
America Ay36 He criticized the country for defending foreign borders while allowing its own to weaken, stating.
AuWeAove defended other nationAos borders while refusing to defend our own.
WeAove spent trillions of dollars overseas while AmericaAos infrastructure has fallen into disrepair.
Ay37 Reflecting on the economic losses of past decades.
Trump lamented.
AuWeAove made other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country has disappeared over the horizon.
One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions upon millions of American workers left behind.
Ay38 But he assured the country that these challenges were behind them, declaring.
AuBut that is the And now we are looking only to the future.
Ay 39 TrumpAos speech culminated with his iconic pledge for national revival and a brighter future: AuTogether, we will make America strong again.
We will make McMillan.
AuMakeAmericaGreatAgain: Ideological Fantasy.
American Exceptionalism and Donald Trump.
Ay Reinhard Wolf.
AuAoMake America Great AgainAo Donald TrumpAos Mission to Restore Respect for America,Ay no.
March .
: 1Ae25.
AuThe Inaugural Address.
Ay Tourish.
AuIt Is Time to Use the F Word about Trump: Fascism.
Populism and the Rebirth of History.
Ay AuThe Inaugural Address.
Ay AuThe Inaugural Address.
Ay AuThe Inaugural Address.
Ay AuThe Inaugural Address.
Ay AuThe Inaugural Address.
Ay 36 Imelda Masni Juniaty Sianipar.
Aarce Tehupeior.
Reviving the Nation: A Lacanian Perspective on TrumpAos MAGA Fantasy America wealthy again.
We will make America proud again.
We will make America safe again.
And, yes, together, we will make America great again.
Ay40 His vision struck a chord with many Americans who felt left behind by globalization and disillusioned with the political elite.
AU Objet petit a: Idealized America TrumpAos message was built on the fantasy of a lost American identity, threatened by immigrants and globalist policies, but capable of being restored under his leadership.
41 His rallying cry to "Make America Great Again" can be viewed as a response to an identity crisis, where many Americans believed the nationAos global standing and prestige had eroded.
Trump framed this crisis as one that could be reversed, positioning himself as the strong leader who would reclaim AmericaAos greatness by reinforcing borders, prioritizing domestic interests, and challenging international norms that had supposedly weakened the country.
Aligned with his vision.
TrumpAos foreign policy rejected globalists ideology and interventionists ideology, attributing them to AmericaAos economic decline.
He pledged to renegotiate trade agreements and leverage AmericaAos market power, even threatening trade restrictions.
For Mexico and China specifically, he proposed tariffs of 20% and 45%, respectively, if these trade partners did not respond "appropriately.
"42 He linked many of these issues back to the Clinton administration, criticizing it for adopting globalism, which he argued led to foreign policy failures favoring corporations over American workers.
In December 2015, the U.
Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a drop in the unemployment rate from 5.
8 percent to 5.
6 percent, a decrease of 0.
2 percentage points .
ee figure .
43 However.
Trump criticized this statistic, asserting that the real unemployment rate was much higher, estimating it to range from 18 to 19 percent, and possibly up to 21 percent.
He argued that many Americans were unable to find jobs because these opportunities had been outsourced to countries like China and Mexico.
This aligns with ScottAos .
study, which shows that by 2015, manufacturing employment had fallen below 12 million workers.
While manufacturing jobs remained stable above 16.
5 million from 1970 to 1998, 5.
7 million were lost between 1998 and 2013, with the hardest-hit states being North Carolina .
7%, 360,000 job.
Mississippi .
5%, 95,600 job.
Arkansas .
1%, 89,900 job.
Rhode Island .
9%, 36,000 job.
Michigan .
6%, 340,000 job.
Tennessee .
3%, 191,700 job.
Ohio .
8%, 368,500 job.
South Carolina .
6%, 117,100 job.
New Hampshire .
6%, 38,700 job.
, and Alabama .
1%, 114,600 job.
Scott also noted that the main factors driving these losses were increasing trade deficits, particularly with China and Mexico, as well as the effects of the Great Recession and a weak recovery.
Figure 2.
Labor Force Participation Rate and Employment-population ratio and unemployment rate.
January 2005 Ae December 2014 AuThe Inaugural Address.
Ay McMillan.
AuMakeAmericaGreatAgain: Ideological Fantasy.
American Exceptionalism and Donald Trump.
Ay Joseph E.
Stiglitz.
AuTrump and Globalization,Ay Journal of Policy Modeling 40, no.
: 515Ae28, https://doi.
org/10.
1016/j.
Bureau of Labor Statistics.
AuUnemployment Rate Declines 0.
2 Percentage Point to 5.
6 Percent in December 2014,Ay The Economics Daily (U.
Department of Labor.
January 13, 2.
, https://w.
gov/opub/ted/2015/unemployment-rate-declines-in-december-2014.
Robert E Scott.
AuThe Manufacturing Footprint and the Importance of U.
Manufacturing Jobs,Ay EPI Briefing Paper, 2015, http://w.
org/files/2015/bp388-manufacturing-footprint.
37 Imelda Masni Juniaty Sianipar.
Aarce Tehupeior.
Reviving the Nation: A Lacanian Perspective on TrumpAos MAGA Fantasy Source:United States Departement of Labor45 AU Jouissance: Emotional Satisfaction Through Symbolic Acts In addition.
Trump sharply criticized ObamaAos reliance on intergovernmental military alliances like The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), claiming it weakened U.
sovereignty and left the nation dependent on other countries failing to meet their obligations, such as not contributing their fair share to defense.
Trump viewed this loss of control as a source of chaos and claimed that prioritizing international interests over those of the U.
had led to AmericaAos decline.
Throughout the presidential campaign.
Trump questioned NATO's relevance in the post-Cold War era, arguing that the was bearing an excessive share of EuropeAos security responsibilities.
46 He claimed NATO had become outdated, criticizing member countries for not contributing their fair share.
Wary of binding international agreements, he stated.
AuWe will never enter America into any agreement that reduces our ability to control our own affairs.
Ay Trump pledged to restore stability by prioritizing American interests and regaining control over the nationAos future.
Building on this rhetoric.
TrumpAos approach to foreign policy often drew on iconic American symbols of strength and toughness.
He positioned himself as a modern-day Rambo, the hyper-masculine Vietnam veteran from Rambo: First Blood Part II .
, who sought to restore American honor after national humiliation.
Just as Rambo sought to settle old scores.
Trump aimed to reassert U.
power on the global stage.
This comparison resonated with his supporters, who saw him Bureau of Labor Statistics.
AuUnemployment Rate Declines 0.
2 Percentage Point to 5.
6 Percent in December 2014.
Ay Joyce P.
Kaufman.
AuThe US Perspective on NATO under Trump: Lessons of the Past and Prospects for the Future,Ay International Affairs 93, no.
: 251Ae66, https://doi.
org/10.
1093/ia/iix009.
Jason A.
Edwards.
AuMake America Great Again: Donald Trump and Redefining the U.
Role in the World,Ay Communication Quarterly 66, no.
: 176Ae95, https://doi.
org/10.
1080/01463373.
Rifat Darina Kamal and Z.
Abdullah Kaiser.
AuTrump and the Ascension of Western Realism: A Critical Discussion on the Western RealistsAo and Western LiberalistsAo Evaluation of Globalisation,Ay India Quarterly 74, no.
: 257Ae71, https://doi.
org/10.
1177/0974928418785433.
38 Imelda Masni Juniaty Sianipar.
Aarce Tehupeior.
Reviving the Nation: A Lacanian Perspective on TrumpAos MAGA Fantasy as more than just a politician but as a savior of America's lost glory.
A 2017 Pew survey indicated that 53% of White evangelical Protestants and 32% of Republicans believed that AuGod chose Trump to become president because He approves of TrumpAos policies,Ay compared to only 18% of White Catholics and 17% of Democrats.
To maintain this perception.
Trump needed to present himselfAiand be seenAias a destined savior.
This image was reinforced in January 2020, after the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.
Trump issued a strong warning to Iran, threatening to target fifty-two sites, including cultural locations, if they retaliated.
This assertive and retaliatory approach bolstered TrumpAos image as a protector of American pride and power, appealing to those who saw him as the leader who could restore the nationAos global stature.
AU Big Other: Symbolic Authority Building on Lacan's theory.
TrumpAos narrative gains depth as he positions himself not merely as a leader but as a savior who can supposedly redeem America's fractured identity.
LacanAos concept of the barred subject ($), which posits that individuals are inherently incomplete and perpetually seeking wholeness, applies to the way TrumpAos campaign constructs a narrative of a "lost America" that can be Trump depicts America as once great but now diminished, with this decline attributed to external pressures: immigrants.
Muslims, globalists, foreign competitors, or groups deemed inconsistent with Trump's national vision.
These groups, in Lacanian terms, represent the "Other", the entities against which the subject .
r, in this case.
Americ.
defines itself in its search for This construction of the "Other" allows TrumpAos followers to assign blame for complex social and economic shifts, offering them a simple solution: by eliminating these external threats.
America can reclaim its former glory.
The slogan Make America Great Again taps into this idealized past, resonating with voters who feel disillusioned by globalization and cultural changes.
According to Pew Research Center .
, for the first time in nearly 40 years of surveys, a majority .
%) believed that the U.
played a less important and powerful role as a global leader compared to a decade earlier.
50 A 2014 Pew Research survey found that only 28% of Americans believed the U.
was superior to all other nations, while most .
%) saw it as "one of the greatest countries in the world, alongside others.
"51 Similarly.
Anna Maria C.
Behler et al.
indicated that individuals nostalgic for AmericaAos past and displaying higher levels of prejudice were more inclined to support TrumpAos campaign, particularly the MAGA movement.
52 This approach aligns with LacanAos concept of fantasy as a structure that shapes desire around an unattainable ideal, represented by the "objet petit a.
Ivan Light.
AuTrumpAos Charisma,Ay Critical Sociology 49, no.
: 529Ae44, https://doi.
org/10.
1177/08969205221087425.
Bonnie Honig.
Shell-Shocked: Feminist Criticism after Trump (Fordham University Press, 2.
AuPublic Sees U.
Power Declining as Support for Global Engagement Slips AmericaAos Place in the World 2013Ay (Pew Research Center.
December 3, 2.
, https://w.
org/politics/2013/12/03/public-sees-u-s-power-declining-as-support-for-global-engagement-slips/.
Alec Tyson.
AuMost Americans Think the U.
Is Great, but Fewer Say ItAos the GreatestAy (Pew Research Center.
July 2, https://w.
org/short-reads/2014/07/02/most-americans-think-the-u-s-is-great-but-fewer-say-its-the-greatest/.
Anna Maria C Behler et al.
AuMaking America Great Again ? National NostalgiaAos Effect on Outgroup Perceptions,Ay Front.
Psychol 12, no.
April .
, https://doi.
org/10.
3389/fpsyg.
39 Imelda Masni Juniaty Sianipar.
Aarce Tehupeior.
Reviving the Nation: A Lacanian Perspective on TrumpAos MAGA Fantasy AU Fantasy: MAGA as a National Restoration Fantasy TrumpAos vision of an idealized America resonates deeply with his supporters' emotions, aligning with LacanAos concept of jouissance, the complex pleasure derived from pursuing desires that remain just out of reach.
Provocative actions like the 2020 killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani fostered a sense of retribution and strength that resonated with his base, although the effect was Pew polls revealed this divided response, with 48% supporting the strike and 54% expressing concerns about potential escalation with Iran.
53 This act provided symbolic triumphs but did not address deeper issues such as national security or diplomatic stability, reinforcing TrumpAos image as a strong leader.
According to LacanAos theory, desire revolves around an unattainable objective, which Trump leverages effectively.
By framing threats such as immigrants.
Muslims, global elites, and foreign adversaries, as continual obstacles, he keeps the vision of America's restoration enticing yet out of reach, maintaining his base's loyalty.
His speeches and promises heighten the anticipation of a revived nation but stop short of fulfilment, sustaining a cycle of unfulfilled longing.
The jouissance experienced by his supporters arises from the blend of emotional satisfaction and the absence of concrete outcomes, reinforcing TrumpAos influence through the perpetual pursuit of an ideal.
This dynamic is evident in a 2017 Pew Research Center survey showing that 81% of Republicans backed TrumpAos travel ban on majority-Muslim countries, viewing it as essential for national security and American identity.
Additionally, 54% believed the policy was implemented effectively, and 50% thought it reduced terrorism threats.
54 However, these measures addressed surface-level concerns without resolving deeper issues.
The travel ban had economic repercussions, impacting sectors like tourism, education, and skilled labor by restricting crucial contributions to technological and academic growth.
It reinforced anti-immigrant stereotypes, heightened social divides, and marginalized communities, undermining social cohesion and stability.
The policy discouraged international students55, particularly from Arabic-speaking countries, leading to a significant decline in enrolment.
Bellmore and Nicole L.
Hacker cited Patel .
, noting 5% drop in Saudi students, and Redden .
, who reported significant visa reductions in 2016Ae2017 for countries under Executive Order No.
Visa issuances dropped by over 50% for Iraq.
Libya.
Somalia, and Yemen, and nearly 50% for Sudan and Syria, damaging the U.
's reputation as a welcoming educational hub.
56 Additionally, international travel suffered, with a 6.
5% decline in bookings in February 2017.
The Global Business Travel Association reported nearly $200 million in business travel losses within a week of the January 27 order.
Jonathan Grella of the U.
Travel Association noted that, beyond the specific travel restrictions, widespread backlash against these executive orders deterred international visitors, exacerbating the economic impact.
57 The travel ban AuMajority of U.
Public Says TrumpAos Approach on Iran Has Raised Chances of a Major ConflictAy (Pew Research Center.
January 15, 2.
, https://w.
org/politics/2020/01/15/majority-of-u-s-public-says-trumps-approach-on-iran-has-raised-chances-of -a-major-conflict/.
AuViews of TrumpAos Executive Order on Travel RestrictionsAy (Pew Research Center.
February 16, 2.
, https://w.
org/politics/2017/02/16/2-views-of-trumps-executive-order-on-travel-restrictions/.
Pacificah Moora Mariita.
AuTrumpAos Potential Reelection and the Fate of Immigrants,Ay International Journal of Language and Literary Studies 6, no.
Eric Bellmore and Nicole L Hacker.
AuAoThe Trump EffectAo: How Does It Impact International Student Enrollment in U.
Colleges?,Ay Journal of Critical Thought and Praxis 10, no.
https://doi.
org/10.
31274/jctp.
Bellmore and Hacker.
AuAoThe Trump EffectAo: How Does It Impact International Student Enrollment in U.
Colleges?Ay David Schaper.
AuTrump Travel Ban Hits The Travel Industry,Ay March 9, 2017, https://w.
org/2017/03/09/519382871/trump-travel-ban-hits-the-travel-industry.
40 Imelda Masni Juniaty Sianipar.
Aarce Tehupeior.
Reviving the Nation: A Lacanian Perspective on TrumpAos MAGA Fantasy also led to a shortage of about 2 million working-age immigrants, including around 950,000 college-educated individuals, affecting the U.
labor market and key industries like technology, where 37% of Silicon ValleyAos workforce is foreign-born.
The policy impacted approximately 90,000 visa holders, including students, business travellers, and thousands of green card holders.
Similarly.
TrumpAos trade policies, which aimed to revive American manufacturing by terminating trade agreements he considered unfavourable, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), garnered significant public support by tapping into economic nationalism and A Pew Research Center survey from May 2015 revealed that many Americans were sceptical about the benefits of free trade, with 46% believing that trade deals lowered wages and led to job 59 Following Trump's election, there was widespread anticipation for positive changes in trade Trump's trade strategies prioritized U.
industries and workers.
He withdrew from the Transpacific Partnership (TPP), replaced NAFTA with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to enhance American manufacturing and agriculture, and promoted the AuBuy American.
Hire AmericanAy policy.
Notable achievements included agreements with Japan to lower tariffs on U.
agricultural and digital products, a renegotiated trade deal with South Korea, and a Phase One agreement with China focused on protecting American intellectual property.
Additionally, he secured tariff reductions with the European Union (EU), reformed the Universal Postal Union, and advocated for transparency and reform in the World Trade Organization (WTO).
These policies aimed to bolster the U.
economy and protect American jobs.
60 A Pew Research Center survey conducted in January 2019 with 1,505 American adults revealed that 51% had some level of confidence in TrumpAos ability to negotiate favorable trade deals, and 49% trusted his economic policies.
Approximately 51% rated the national economic conditions as excellent or good, while 60% indicated that there were ample job opportunities in their local areaAian increase from 50% in 2017.
However, despite this initial support, the concrete benefits of these policies were limited.
Six months later, in July 2019, a Pew Research Center survey found that only 44% of Americans believed TrumpAos policies had improved the U.
62 The import tariffs introduced by the Trump administration had a negative impact on American businesses, particularly those in goods-producing sectors, and these effects had been felt as early as 2018.
A survey by the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), conducted from April 1 to April 10, 2018, revealed that 75% of respondents from sectors such as agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, construction, and manufacturing reported negative impacts from the tariffs.
Among these respondents, 67% noted higher costs, 50% reported increased selling prices, and 42% experienced a decline in sales.
From a Lacanian perspective, discursive practices such as the travel ban and trade policies can be seen as delivering AujouissanceAy, a form of immediate yet superficial satisfaction that appeals to emotional desires while neglecting deeper structural issues in both security and economic realms.
This approach offers supporters short-term reassurance of feeling secure and economically Auprotected,Ay but Aimee Picchi.
Au"I Was DevastatedAy: Trump Travel BanAos Financial Pains,Ay February 1, 2017, https://w.
com/news/trump-immigration-ban-impact-financial-pain/.
AuFree Trade Agreements Seen as Good for U.
But Concerns PersistAy (Pew Research Center.
May 27, 2.
, https://w.
org/politics/2015/05/27/free-trade-agreements-seen-as-good-for-u-s-but-concerns-persist/.
AuTrump Administration AccomplishmentsAy (The White House.
January 2.
, https://trumpwhitehouse.
gov/trump-administration-accomplishments/.
AuViews of TrumpAy (Pew Research Center.
January 18, 2.
, https://w.
org/politics/2019/01/18/1-views-of-trump-2/.
AuPublicAos Views of NationAos Economy Remain Positive and Deeply PartisanAy (Pew Research Center.
July 25, 2.
, https://w.
org/politics/2019/07/25/publics-views-of-nations-economy-remain-positive-and-deeply-partisan/.
Apep Suhendar and Ahmad Buchori.
AuSurvei: Perusahaan-Perusahaan AS Laporkan Dampak Negatif Dari TarifAy (ANTARA.
April 30, 2.
, https://w.
com/berita/850812/survei-perusahaan-perusahaan-as-laporkan-dampak-negatif-dari-tarif.
41 Imelda Masni Juniaty Sianipar.
Aarce Tehupeior.
Reviving the Nation: A Lacanian Perspective on TrumpAos MAGA Fantasy fails to address core issues like wage stagnation, job displacement, and the complexities of a global Lacanian theory would suggest that this type of emotional satisfaction temporarily masks these deeper problems without providing substantial, long-term solutions.
LacanAos idea of the "Big Other," or the symbolic authority that defines what is desirable, further explains TrumpAos unique appeal.
During his 2015 campaign.
Trump positioned himself as the only figure capable of restoring AmericaAos lost greatness, portraying the nation as in decline and the American dream nearly extinguished.
His promise was clear: under his leadership.
America would be Aubigger, better, and stronger than ever.
Ay Emphasizing his resilience and past achievements.
Trump framed himself as uniquely prepared to face external threats and rejuvenate the nation.
He embodied core American ideals such as patriotism, self-reliance, and economic power, positioning himself not just as a leader but as a symbol of an idealized, bygone order, capable of restoring Aulaw and orderAy and the supremacy of core values.
TrumpAos narrative also fostered clear antagonisms, targeting perceived adversaries like immigrants, global elites and foreign competitors, which bolstered his image as a savior.
Supporters viewed him as the one capable of defending against these threats and restoring security and national This savior role reinforced his appeal, offering a promise to reclaim a symbolic order and a national identity seen as eroded.
Leveraging the rhetoric of rescue and opposition.
Trump built political authority and fostered an emotional bond with his followers, who saw him as the only hope to halt decline and revive American greatness.
For instance, a Pew Research Center survey in June 2016 indicated that voters prioritized the economy .
%), terrorism .
%), and foreign policy .
%).
Though only 36% trusted TrumpAos foreign policy expertise, he was still seen as more capable than Hillary Clinton in addressing terrorism .
%) and immigration .
%),64 bolstering his narrative of restoring security and national identity.
Once in office.
TrumpAos image as a decisive leader solidified.
A February 2017 Gallup poll revealed that 56% of Americans believed he could enact needed change, with 94% of Republicans supporting this view.
65 This perception of Trump as a hyper-masculine, tough leader, reminiscent of the Rambo figure, appealed to a desire for a forceful figure who could reverse perceived decline and restore national honor.
In Lacanian terms, this fantasy of revival serves as a shield against the "Real", the unsettling, complex realities of life that resist symbolic resolution.
TrumpAos narrative simplified multifaceted issues like globalization and social change, directing his followers' focus to external threats and internal failings, maintaining the belief that AmericaAos decline can be easily reversed.
TrumpAos MAGA campaign can be seen as a fantasy constructed to address an identity crisis, providing an idealized vision of national greatness.
This fantasy fuels his supportersAo desire for a renewed sense of identity, with Trump as the figure who can satisfy that longing.
However, in Lacanian terms, the fantasy itself remains unattainableAia projection of unresolved desires that cannot be fully fulfilled.
TrumpAos promise of national revival thus allows his supporters to navigate their identity crisis by shifting the complexities of globalization and societal change onto the figure of an idealized leader, giving them temporary respite from confronting the deeper, unresolved issues of contemporary life.
AuTop Voting Issues in 2016 ElectionAy (Pew Research Center.
July 7, 2.
, https://w.
org/politics/2016/07/07/4-top-voting-issues-in-2016-election/.
Frank Newport.
AuAmericans Say Trump Keeps Promises.
Is Strong LeaderAy (Gallup.
February 13, 2.
, https://news.
com/poll/203915/americans-say-trump-keeps-promises-strong-leader.
aspx?g_source=Politics&g_medium =newsfeed&g_campaign=tiles.
42 Imelda Masni Juniaty Sianipar.
Aarce Tehupeior.
Reviving the Nation: A Lacanian Perspective on TrumpAos MAGA Fantasy Conclusion This analysis of the AuMake America Great AgainAy movement shows that TrumpAos populist appeal is deeply tied to psychological needs for identity, belonging, and control.
By framing AmericaAos supposed decline as the result of external threatsAisuch as immigrants.
Muslims, elites, and foreign powers.
Trump creates a simplified narrative that channels public fears and positions himself as a symbolic AuBig Other.
Ay Using Lacanian psychoanalysis, this narrative resonates by providing an illusion of control over complex societal issues, sustaining a continuous cycle of unmet desire.
Actions like immigration restrictions and trade tariffs offer brief satisfaction but delay the fulfillment of the larger promise of a Aurestored America,Ay thus reinforcing loyalty and maintaining hope among his The article highlights that the endurance of political fantasies like MAGA is not solely due to their overt promises but stems from their ability to tap into deep psychological needs within the collective consciousness.
This is further exemplified by TrumpAos rhetoric, which appeals to his supportersAo feelings of insecurity and perceived loss, positioning him as the figure who can restore order and strength.
The unwavering loyalty of his base, despite the cycle of unfulfilled promises, underscores how these psychological drivers extend beyond political messaging to touch on more profound emotional and existential levels.
For policymakers, this research underscores the importance of understanding the emotional and psychological drivers of populist support.
TrumpAos narrative appeals to desires for wholeness and control, reinforcing his supportersAo investment by directing blame at external sources.
Insights from this analysis can guide the creation of inclusive policies that address such concerns constructively, avoid divisive rhetoric, and foster unity.
By channeling public anxieties toward shared goals, leaders can build social cohesion instead of polarization.
While Lacanian psychoanalysis is valuable, it may not fully capture broader socio-political factors behind populist support.
Future research should explore emotional appeals across different contexts, combining psychoanalytic insights with empirical data to inform policy that meets psychological needs and promotes unity through constructive References