The Creation of Political Myth: MAGA, Monsters, and Trump as Hero

A tale as old as time: A powerful man puffs his chest, promises to slay the monsters, and solidifies power one dehumanizing myth at a time.

Donald Trump at the Presidential Debate on September 10th, 2024. Win McNamee/Getty Images

Throughout history, myth-making has been a tool of those in power—crafting monsters for the public to fear and heroes to rally behind. In modern America, Donald Trump’s political rhetoric follows this ancient tradition, positioning himself as the savior and his opponents as existential threats.

Myths are typically set in the distant past, highlighting different circumstances through rose-colored glasses. Governing bodies have long used nostalgic stories to establish their rule, extend their power, and keep opposition at bay. This is one of the many uses of mythology and religion.

A modern example of political myth-making is Donald Trump's MAGA movement. It unites his followers around the idea that he alone can "Make America Great Again." This nostalgic vision, coupled with a near-constant "us vs. them" narrative, ignites such intense fervor in his supporters that Trump evidently hopes it will serve as the catalyst to rebuild his power and secure his return to the White House.

“As far as rallies are concerned, as far -- the reason they¹ go is they like what I say. They want to bring our country back. They want to make America great again. It's a very simple phrase. Make America great again.”²

Simple indeed.

This active myth-making—turning enemies and scapegoats into monsters—was on full display during the U.S. presidential debate on September 10th, 2024.

There were many moments where Trump's responses were yet another installment of this myth-making. But I want to specifically focus on the racist and dehumanizing remarks about Haitian immigrants in Ohio.

As easy as it is to laugh at Trump’s seemingly bizarre comments about Haitian immigrants “eating the dogs and cats” of citizens in Springfield, Ohio, it's important to remember that this is racist political mythologizing in action, with roots stretching back hundreds of years.

Trump’s remarks about Haitian immigrants ring back to fears America’s slaveholding elite rooted in the fear about Haiti’s revolution. The Haitian Revolution was a stark reminder to the fledgling U.S. of the fragility of a society dependent on enslaved laborers who could revolt. To prevent this, the dehumanization of people of African descent became a powerful myth³—a narrative of fear and danger that continues to be recycled in the U.S. political landscape today.⁴

For millennia, powerful groups and governments have used mythology and religious stories to solidify their power. The ancient Mesopotamian epic of Gilgamesh provides a prime example. In this tale, the hero Gilgamesh seeks to kill Humbaba, a being portrayed as monstrous. However, Humbaba is ultimately just the guardian of his native land, the Cedar Forest, fulfilling the gods' decree by staying within his domain. Despite this, Gilgamesh sees Humbaba as a threat that must be eliminated, even though Humbaba is the minority in the conflict against Gilgamesh and Enkidu. This narrative mirrors Trump's political strategy of creating enemies out of vulnerable groups. By portraying immigrants or political opponents as monstrous "others," Trump provides his followers with a rallying point, much like Gilgamesh rallied against Humbaba.

This “othering” extends beyond those of African descent in the United States. From Humbaba's killing to modern times, it echoes the colonizers' labeling of Native Americans as "savages" while mistreating them and stealing their ancestral lands. Both Native Americans and colonizers were human, each with their own rituals and customs. However, the colonizers needed to dehumanize their opponents, turning them into "others" to justify killing and conquering without moral qualms.⁵

In much the same way, Trump’s rhetoric dehumanizes immigrants and minorities, turning them into monsters that need to be slayed for the greater good of his vision of America. This is a key element of the mythic tradition, where societal ills are blamed on external enemies, justifying the need for a heroic savior to restore order.

Trump’s political myth-making doesn’t stop with nostalgic imagery; he actively crafts a binary world of good versus evil. His “Make America Great Again” slogan harks back to an imagined time of American purity and strength, now threatened by forces like immigrants, liberals, and the media. It is classic myth-making, a tale of a nation under siege that requires a singular hero to restore balance.

Mythology has always been a powerful tool for those seeking to consolidate power, and in Trump’s America, the crafting of monsters is alive and well. Whether it's immigrants or political opponents, the narrative is the same: dehumanize the “other,” rally the base, and cast the leader as the only one capable of saving the nation. Trump’s myth-making has consequences, and like the heroes of ancient epics, leaves a legacy of destruction in its wake.

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1. Trump is referencing his political rallies and explaining why people attend them.

2. This quote was from Donald Trump at the Presidential Debate on September 10th, 2024. I pulled this quote from the debate transcript on ABC’s website.

3. This includes the use of the Bible. The Curse of Ham, a biblical story, was misused to justify slavery. Christian leaders during the trans-Atlantic slave trade claimed it condemned Ham's descendants—interpreted as Africans—to servitude. This narrative was used to justify African enslavement from the 17th century onward. Religious figures argued slavery was biblically mandated and beneficial for the enslaved, framing it as a path to salvation. For more, check this article out.

4. For more insight on Trump’s comments and their connection to the Haitian Revolution and America’s “Founding Fathers,” I suggest reading presidential historian Alexis Coe’s Substack article.

5. In another Biblical example from Matthew 28:19-20: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” Colonizers often cited this passage to justify the spread of Christianity, using it as a mandate for evangelism that sometimes led to forced conversions and cultural erasure.