Trump Says 'Make America Great Again' Slogan Is Obsolete
The president claimed the United States has regained its global standing and predicted Republicans will keep the House and Senate in the midterms.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in International Relations
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During an appearance on Fox News' Fox & Friends, Donald Trump said the slogan Make America Great Again is becoming obsolete, arguing the United States has regained its position as a global power. He also predicted Republicans would retain control of both the House and Senate in the midterm elections.
Why it matters
The remarks frame the administration's foreign policy and political standing heading into the midterms, as Trump argues U.S. influence has been restored. Independent polling cited in the extraction shows his approval at lower levels, so the claims are contested by the broader political record.
Trump's average approval rating is 34% according to CNN's Poll of Polls, up slightly from 32% in an October CNN poll. Seventy-three percent of respondents disapproved of his handling of the economy, and the extraction does not indicate how that figure compares across prior polling periods.
The players
Donald Trump
The 47th president of the United States, who made the remarks about the MAGA slogan and his administration's record.
Xi Jinping
The President of the People's Republic of China, whom Trump claims praised his leadership during a September visit.
CNN
The cable news network whose Poll of Polls average and October poll are cited for Trump's approval ratings.
The details
Trump made the remarks during an appearance on Fox News' Fox & Friends, pointing to a 30-day campaign blitz across key battleground states before Election Day and citing a $4 billion cut in spending toward Israel and falling oil prices as signs of progress. He also highlighted U.S. military victories over Iran and said the U.S. maintains a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
Timeline
September: Trump says Chinese President Xi Jinping praised his leadership during a visit.
October: A CNN poll puts Trump's approval rating at 32%.
Election Day: A 30-day campaign blitz across battleground states precedes the vote.
Tuesday: Trump makes the MAGA-obsolete remarks on Fox & Friends.
Political Context
The remarks mark a departure from the Make America Great Again slogan that anchored Trump's 2016 campaign and first term. Opposition critics and polling data cited in the extraction, including the 73% disapproval on the economy, contest his claims of restored U.S. standing.
The midterm elections will determine whether Republicans keep control of the House and Senate, a prediction Trump made in these remarks. Voters weighing the administration's record can compare the claimed foreign policy gains against the approval and economic polling cited here.
The takeaway
Trump's claims of restored U.S. standing and his approval ratings point in different directions, and readers can weigh the claimed foreign policy wins against the polling data as the midterms approach.
Further reading
For more on how the administration's foreign policy claims are being tracked, see International Relations.
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