Home
Membership
Reagan's plan to 'make America great again'

Reagan's plan to 'make America great again'

Phil Tinline explores why Ronald Reagan's presidency was a pivotal moment for the United States – and the extent to which we can draw parallels between the country during his 1980s tenure and today

Matt Elton

Published: October 17, 2025 at 8:00 AM

Save

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on whatsapp
Email to a friend

The phrase 'Make America Great Again' is indelibly associated with President Trump – yet a very similar version of the slogan – 'Let's Make America Great Again' – was in fact used by his predecessor Ronald Reagan. What can this parallel tell us about the United States of the 1980s? And does drawing such comparisons reveal anything about the US today? Speaking to Matt Elton, author and documentarian Phil Tinline offers his take.

Authors

Matt EltonPodcast editor

Matt Elton is the podcast editor at HistoryExtra