MAGA Hats Have Become a Divisive 'Us Vs. Them' Symbol: Fashion Critic
*By Chloe Aiello*
President Trump's "Make America Great Again" cap is more than just a hat, it's a "symbol of us vs. them," according to Washington Post fashion editor Robin Givhan.
"No fashion item is completely separate from the broader culture. It doesn't exist in a vacuum and so the way that people respond to it, the way it's read by others, is equally as potent if not more so than the intent of the wearer," Givhan said.
Givhan [penned a column](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-maga-hat-is-not-a-statement-of-policy-its-an-inflammatory-declaration-of-identity/2019/01/23/9fe84bc0-1f39-11e9-8e21-59a09ff1e2a1_story.html?utm_term=.ec3a75c53f4e) last week about what the hat has come to mean in the years since it burst on the scene as a campaign accessory for Trump's 2016 presidential bid. The hat, she wrote, has become "a symbol of us vs. them, of exclusion and suspicion, of garrulous narcissism, of white male privilege, of violence and hate."
Her commentary follows a recent controversy in which the hat took center stage. Catholic schoolboys in MAGA hats, a Native American elder, and black nationalists collided at the March for Life in Washington, D.C., in a video that went viral. In an interview on "Today" after the incident, the student at the center of the controversy, Nick Sandmann, acknowledged that the presence of his hat may have escalated tensions.
Fashion has historically been used to make political statements ー last year alone saw women in Tehran, Iran, removing their headscarves in protest of compulsory hijab laws, as well as celebrities at the Golden Globes wearing all black in solidarity with the #MeToo movement. But in the era of the pink pussy hats and the Black Lives Matter t-shirts, the red MAGA hat has emerged as the most divisive accessory of all. And Givhan argues it is inherently different that these other politically charged items.
"The Black Lives Matter t-shirts and the pink pussy hats, those were being worn by a group of people who were not at the top of the pyramid in terms of our society. They were people striving to better their rights and ... gain greater equality, versus the 'Make America Great' hat, which doesn't have that sort of duality of the oppressed versus the oppressor," Givhan said.
She added that the hats have been weaponized by some who have worn them, including white supremacists at the deadly Charlottesville, Va., rally. When someone wears a MAGA hat today, they're implicitly supporting more than Trump's policies, Givhan said.
"There are definitely reasonable policy differences that are expressed by people who wear that hat, but I think the larger connotation says, 'I am willing to concede that my policy wins are worth it, despite all of these other negative ramifications,'" she said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/washington-post-columnist-calls-maga-hats-a-declaration-of-identity).
Catching you up on what you Need to Know on Mar 21, 2022, with updates on the Russian invasion in Ukraine, a Boeing 737-800 plane carrying 132 people crashed in China, Canadian Pacific rail workers on strike, another possible COVID surge, and the SEC's new climate rules for businesses.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has told senators that she will defend the Constitution and decide cases “without fear or favor” if she is confirmed to the Supreme Court.
David Stryzewski, CEO of Sound Planning Group, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says he believes pent-up demand is driving stocks higher and explains how Wednesday's Fed decision continues to impact investor sentiment.
Rachel Thomas, the co-founder and CEO of the non-profit Lean In, joined Cheddar amid Women's History Month, to discuss how the organization is taking on issues that continue to impact the workplace through its Circles program. "These are a program that brings women together in small groups, usually 8 to 12, for support, camaraderie, and to learn together," she said. "We also we have a lot of curriculum so women can learn how to navigate workplace biases, how to negotiate with women." Thomas also applauded President Biden's recent call to action on equal pay for women, noting that businesses must do more to be cognizant of inherent gender and racial biases.
President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping spoke Friday for nearly two hours via a video call as the White House looks to deter Beijing from providing military or economic assistance for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Senate has passed the Sunshine Protection Act to permanently set U.S. clocks to daylight saving time — meaning you won't need to change them twice a year. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) joined Cheddar News to talk about something that hasn't been changed in almost half a century. “Well, I think if you were to start from scratch and have somebody come in and say here's my idea, we're going to have two different times during the year and you're going to shift back and forth between different times and have to reset all your clocks twice a year, you'd probably throw that person out as like having a screw loose," he said regarding the status quo.
Catching you up on what you Need to Know on Mar 18, 2022, with updates on the war in Ukraine, President Biden’s meeting with Xi Jinping, Meta removing a deepfake video of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Britney Griner, vaccine updates, and tech news.
As the Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, medical experts are worried conditions in active warzones will exacerbate the current pandemic — or even give rise to other contagions. Dr. Daniel Fagbuyi, a war veteran and former Obama administration biodefense appointee, joined Cheddar News to discuss the ongoing danger of COVID-19 on top of the war, as well as the potential for new variants to emerge. "I mean just large volumes of people definitely is a breeding ground. That's the worst case," he said. "Two things don't mix: war-conflict and a virus, a potential pandemic virus."
