Trump’s Midterm Strategy Harks Back to 1970

Foreign Policy · Julian E. Zelizer · 2026-10-15 04:01 UTC

Forget hearts and minds, this path to power revolves around appealing to hate and anger.

Forget hearts and minds, this path to power revolves around appealing to hate and anger.

People watching U.S. television last month may have seen a rehashed television advertisement from the 2024 campaign featuring President Donald Trump. In the so-called public service announcement, which has been especially controversial because it was funded by the U.S. government, the president walks down a hallway as audio plays of him declaring that “this is the final battle” against communists, Marxists, fascists, and the “fake news media.” He promises to “throw off the sick political class that hates our country” and “liberate America from these villains, once and for all.”

The spot is classic Trump.

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