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The Donald Steals the Closer

Posted on Friday, November 1, 2024
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by Aaron Flanigan
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Just in time for the weekend before Election Day, Donald Trump’s campaign on Thursday evening released a stirring closer in the media ad wars that, with a soaring voiceover, arresting visuals, and a commanding on-screen script, used the platform of the presidency to take him above the daily campaign fare of political rallies, rope lines, and attack commercials. And yet, the ad also delivers powerful if subliminal campaign messages about a time when the economy was good, the world was safe, the border was secure, schools were sane, and the future was welcoming.

Using the single most unifying moment a president has outside of an inaugural address, the Trump ad employs the political imagery of his State of the Union addresses by displaying the famous House gallery moments that thrilled the public—including a salute to Buzz Aldrin, a soldier returning home to his family, a North Korean defector holding up his crutches, and Nancy Pelosi clapping amidst thunderous applause in the House of Representatives. Moments that came, as the ad notes, in a speech that was “bigger than the Academy Awards” and the “NFL playoffs,” and that “47.7 million watched,” and says that “he can do it again,” and that “we can do it again”—meaning “Make America Great Again.”

While presenting Trump as the candidate of national unity and American pride and employing the presidential  imagery that always works the most powerfully for any candidate, the ad reminds Americans that Trump had arguably the most successful first term of any U.S. president in history—displayed clearly by  his State of the Union addresses, which drew far larger audiences than Obama’s or Biden’s and won much stronger reviews. But most of all, the ad reminds the public that Donald Trump has already done the job—and does so by evoking the single most unifying moment a president has outside of an inaugural address.

The ad works for three particular reasons—first among them is the forgotten eloquence of Trump’s words and his rousing narrative of the American Story.

“What will we do with this moment? How will we be remembered?” Trump says in his 2019 State of the Union remarks, which are featured in the ad. “Look at the opportunities before us.”

“America is a land of heroes,” Trump says. “This is a place where greatness is born… Our ancestors… settled the Wild West; lifted millions from poverty, disease, and hunger; vanquished tyranny and fascism; ushered the world to new heights of science and medicine… and we are making it greater than ever before.”

“The people dreamed this country,” Trump continues. “And it’s the people who are making America great again.”

“No matter the trials… no matter the challenges to come… We must keep freedom alive in our souls… that one nation, under God, must be the hope and the promise, and the light and the glory, among all the nations of the world,” the ad concludes.

Second, the ad features, in a virtuoso display by Trump’s creative team, moving images to tell a narrative. The ad features stirring imagery of cowboys, Americans settling the frontier, arriving on Ellis Island, storming the beaches of Normandy, and carrying American flags on horseback—spliced between footage from Trump’s State of the Union remarks and from his 2024 campaign rallies. This inspiring imagery complements Trump’s soaring rhetoric and cements his distinctive storytelling power.

And third, the ad includes an on-screen script that emphasizes the popularity of Trump’s State of the Union remarks—and reinforces that American greatness is still within reach, with, as mentioned, “Bigger than the Academy Awards,” the ad says on-screen in all-caps, referring to the high viewership of Trump’s State of the Union addresses, and “Bigger than the NFL playoffs.”

“47.7 million watched,” the script reads, in reference to Trump’s 2017 address to a joint session of Congress.

“We remembered what made America great… He brought us together… and we made America great again,” the captions say.

“He can do it again…We can do it again… And together… we can make America great again.”

At the time, even left-wing media pundits praised Trump’s annual State of the Union Addresses. “I think people where I came from will like the speech tonight,” said former MSNBC host Chris Matthews of the 2020 address. “I think regular people will… they’ll see it but they’ll like it. Because it’s all good stuff.”

Left-wing CBS News host Norah O’Donnell agreed: “This was a speech unlike any other I have witnessed from President Donald Trump—the reality TV president took on the state of the union, a master showman at his best,” she wrote on social media.

And The Washington Post’s David Von Drehle praised the remarks as a “lethally effective exploitation of the presidential bully pulpit.” No previous address, he wrote, “so cunningly adapted the ancient ritual of a former speech to the visceral medium of television.”

Ultimately, this ad is a powerful reminder of how much success Trump had in his first term—when the American experience was marked by pride, optimism, and hope. As the 45th President, Trump remade the federal judiciary with hundreds of conservative appointments—including the three Supreme Court justices. His low-tax, low-regulation economic agenda propelled the U.S. economy to unprecedented heights. His border security measures effectuated the most secure southern border in recorded history. And his foreign policy, rooted in the philosophy of “peace through strength,” ensured America stayed out of endless wars overseas and that the world was safe.

Trump’s State of the Union remarks not only reminded Americans of these accomplishments, but also gave them a reason to have hope for their futures and pride for their country after eight years of negativity and dread under the Obama administration.

Given that the overwhelming majority of Americans currently believe that the country is on the wrong track, Kamala Harris cannot be afforded the same opportunity to galvanize voters around a common vision of American greatness grounded in success, optimism, and ambition—making Trump’s closing ad all the more effective.

In the closing days of the 2024 presidential contest, Trump’s closing ad reminds voters of a leader who, despite the accusations of self-promotion from the left, never loses sight of the people he serves. Trump’s first term in the Oval Office elevated everyday Americans—the unsung heroes who built this country, defended its freedoms, and continue to shape its future. The ad’s tribute to astronaut Buzz Aldrin, for instance, vividly demonstrates Trump’s honoring of an American hero who embodies the ambition and grit of space exploration, a testament to the 45th president’s commitment to those who exemplify the American spirit.

As Election Day approaches, the Trump campaign’s closing ad is a call to voters to remember that with the right leadership, America’s best days are still ahead.

Aaron Flanigan is the pen name of a writer in Washington, D.C.

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Kim
Kim
19 days ago

Wonderful…let’s have more of those! There’s no doubt that President Trump sees the potential of our country and wants each of us to realize our dream. We must win this election. Everyone will vote for Trump/Vance, yes??

Kathryn Davis
Kathryn Davis
19 days ago

Trump/Vance must happen!

Gallaghers
Gallaghers
19 days ago

Unfortunately the only vision I can see with the Harris campaign is never being able to afford a home or worse having more terrorist attacks from illegals in greater degrees and then perhaps that Great White Flash. ——

Rose
Rose
18 days ago

Nothing further to discuss except go vote for president Trump on November 5th 2025 Our freedoms and our safety depend on it. We are a nation of laws and the lawlessness must stop. Stop illegal immigration shut down the border they are letting in criminals and drugs that kill into our country and men from different countries that hate us. How many Americans lives have to die because illegals commit crimes and are set free back into our country? How many children crossing the border will continue to be unaccounted for there are 350,000 children missing. How much more can the working lower class tax payers be taxed before we lose our livelihoods? Gas and inflation on car Insurance and utilities and groceries are killing our moral and have caused hardships on US citizens. Yet Kamala Harris and Biden keep funding Ukraine and housing and feeding and giving cash to illegals to live on with no jobs, while Americans get the bill with Kamala wanting to raise our taxes and cut 23% of social security that effects the elderly. This is the party of abortion and death to the babies up to the 9th month, although it’s supposed to be 22 weeks, but even than the baby has a heartbeat and the babies are able to move around the womb and the mom feels it. During the abortion it tries to move away from the instruments to tear and cut its body to remove them from the mothers womb, those babies feel pain and they are not clumps of cells. Kamala is the party of taxation without representation and a war monger who will send our youth into wars that we don’t want to support, because we want to live in peace. We need a leader who wants peace and will advocate for peace and that’s why we need President Trump. That’s who we need someone fearless with solutions for all Americans to prosper.

llama
llama
17 days ago

As an AMAC member, I really appreciate having an alternative to AARP.

Bill on the Hill
Bill on the Hill
18 days ago

Trump/Vance 2024…
MAGA/AMERICA FIRST…
VOTE,VOTE,VOTE!
Bill…

John
John
18 days ago

The difference between the two candidates is easy to figure out if you listen. Trump wants to help working people while Harris want to help those who do not want to work or get something for nothing to buy their vote.

Ted Tedstone
Ted Tedstone
18 days ago

If the Trump campaign missed a step, it is not touting the ‘First Step Act’.
He worked with Beyonce to free minority men Harris had unjustly imprisoned.
Should have been blaring 24/7 for the last 6 months.

lothar baier
lothar baier
18 days ago

democrats and their media allies are pushing the narrative that this election is close and of course they have to say this because they need to keep the base motivated and donations coming in but looking at the real world outside of polls and the bubble politicians life in it becomes more and more clear that this is not going to be close at all but that trump and republicans are going to pull of a landslide !
I am not going to get into the fact that the polls underestimated trumps margin twice but there are other pointers.
Virtually all the focus is on the 7 swing states while changes in VA, NH and MN have gone unnoticed with harris leading by just 3 points it is very likely for trump pulling of a upset in any of those states .

ref
ref
17 days ago

On the eve of the most important election of my life time, I’m weary of uber rich celebrities, athletes and politicians who have disdain for the American people, telling me I should vote for a candidate who is flawed in every possible way. I have made up my mind to reject the tyranny of the hateful uber rich leftists who are supportive of today’s Democratic Party. As an independent, the choice for me ids clear. Conservatism builds on time honored values, while progressives tear them down. I don’t give a flip about what actors and the such think, I can think for myself. I will vote Trump.

Myrna
Myrna
18 days ago

Pray that America will not be plunged into emulating Iran where the leaders are diabolically opposed to the general citizenry.

June Leffler
June Leffler
17 days ago

And still fresh in millions of minds…is the act of sabotage , the look of distain…on Speaker Nancy Pelosi face…as she ripoed Americans historic “artifact” to pieces !! Exactly what greedy Democratic leadership has done to America.
Torn her pieces.

Vote Trump to Save America

Moma Chaunce
Moma Chaunce
18 days ago

Kamala had a similar closing ad showing us the way she soared above Willie brown and added to his bed post notches for a politcal patronage appointment and the restnis filthy history…it only cost her her dignity as a woman which she abandoned for anything she wants…like most liberal womyn.

Qwik
Qwik
18 days ago

I liked it. I think the article oversold it a little but it is a very good ad.

anna hubert
anna hubert
16 days ago

No matter how many people dislike Donald Trump for whatever reason ,they must see the disaster Harris represents All the personal feelings must give way to the strength and ability of the candidate and Harris is lacking in every department. She has already proven herself to be incompetent , weak and clueless How much worse must she be?

Melinda
Melinda
16 days ago

I sincerely hope that people, when voting, will remember how good we had it when Trump was president. China ruined it when they unleashed the Covid virus. Most of us recovered from the virus and we will recover from Biden/Harris. She does not have the gravitas to be president.

LauraC
LauraC
16 days ago

Trump is a visionary who sees the future and has the strength and energy to lead us forward. It’s such a contrast to what we’ve had to endure for the last four long, lean years. I can’t wait for that future!!!!

hgk
hgk
18 days ago

Now just do it again and again.!!

Singleshot
Singleshot
18 days ago

But…But…But…There are not troglodytes in the ad!

Robert Zuccaro
Robert Zuccaro
16 days ago

If Trump wins, there goes my scheme to field an “all-trans” womens soccer team and dominate the World Cup.

Marie Saqueton
Marie Saqueton
16 days ago

Our last chance to keep our Republic, governed by laws, as the Left has forgotten that. Donald J. Trump is God’s chosen one to save our country and Word Peace when God’s intervention saved him from the assassin’s bullets and he shed blood for us. Listen to God’s mentoring and not your own flawed will. May God bless al voters with wisdom.

Debbie
Debbie
16 days ago

Praying for President Trump and that when elected he will get us back as a unified America. Where all lives matter and peace will be once again for those warring countries! God Bless Us All!

John
John
16 days ago

If we want to save this nation the time is now
This’s not just who’ll our next president it survival of our way will of life. Here’s a question for you all: Do you want a packed Supreme Court , Electoral College and filibuster gone that’s what we face if Kamala Harris becomes our next president. Make no mistake anyone dares cross her risks going to jail. My prayer for all of us is to remind ourselves that our founding fathers with god’s blessings us our freedoms and this nation
As we go the poles tomorrow let’s not forget that

Pat R
Pat R
16 days ago

Awesome artcle; and I totally agree and say AMEN to the last statement.

Gilbert Gatica
Gilbert Gatica
18 days ago

Nice ad. Toss in scenes of January 6 insurrection.

Gilbert Gatica
Gilbert Gatica
18 days ago

Nice ad. Should be interspersed with scenes of January 6 insurrection and Trump watching gleefully, ” They’re fighting for me!”

Gilbert Gatica
Gilbert Gatica
18 days ago

Trump’s reality will be an attempt to repeat his efforts to claim victory because of voter fraud. He will lose again.

Patrick Corcoran
Patrick Corcoran
18 days ago

Amusingly edited. No mention of eighty felony charges? Sad. Pathetic. Trump.

Laken RIley, a 22 year old nursing student from Georgia who was killed by an illegal migrant.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 12: United States Department of Justice sign in Washington, DC on July 12, 2017
The right side of history
Manhattan street scene in New York. Manhattan street scene taken from middle of road in New York City, USA.

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