Bryan Cranston asks ‘when’ America was truly great — and MAGA has no good answer

We’ve all heard “Make America Great Again” so many times that it’s become background noise. Donald Trump has been spouting it since at least 2011, when he teased a future presidential run by saying, “I must leave all of my options open because, above all else, we must make America great again.”

Since then, it’s been emblazoned across millions of red hats, “MAGA” has become a term for the whole Trump movement, and looks set to go down in political history as one of the greatest campaign slogans of all time.

But Bryan Cranston is cutting to the chase and interrogating the statement directly. When exactly was this time America was “great?” Who was it “great” for? And what would it mean to make this greatness happen “again”?

Actor Bryan Cranston on the inherent racism of MAGA: “Just ask yourself, from an African American experience, when was it ever great in America?” pic.twitter.com/EMavRDKRvO

— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) May 25, 2025

Cranston rightly points out that MAGA is a coded racist remark: “just ask yourself, from an African-American experience, when was it ever great?” This gets to the heart of what MAGA really is: boosting some mythical golden era that only ever existed for wealthy white people. Doubtless, these fantasies picture some kind of idealized 1950s, where women stayed at home in puffy skirts, suit-wearing men earned the money, and the most you’d have with a Black person would be the kid who shines your shoes.

Going backwards

MAGA is, ultimately, an effort to erase a half-century of civil rights battles and impose an authoritarian, white, Christian society on America. If you want proof, just cast your eyes over the headlines for the last few weeks and see the multiple assaults on the rights of everyone who’s not a straight white Christian man.

The comments attempting to defend Trump only underline this:

Back when they had “colored” bathrooms and water fountains? Yea dude really great country

— beej (@iAmBeeej) May 26, 2025

Late 1930’s- 1940’s was the best ever for black Americans until democrats turn them into fatherless households and encouraged single motherhood

— Digital Dark Daniel (@RealDigitalDark) May 26, 2025

Fortunately, “Make America Great Again” can never become a reality. It was never great, so any attempts to revert to some hazily imagined past can only fail. The reality will be some perverse mimicking of some old TV shows, a fantasy that’ll collapse under the slightest pressure. That doesn’t mean there’s not going to be pain, misery, and cruelty on the way, but one day this will all be over.