Coalition Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price made a comment on Saturday that unintentionally mirrored Donald Trump’s famous slogan when she stated, “make Australia great again.” She quickly backtracked, claiming she didn’t even realize she had said it. Her boss, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, downplayed the comment, and other Coalition MPs attempted to downplay the controversy over the weekend.
Despite their efforts to move on from the comment, a yuletide selfie of Price wearing a Make America Great Again cap began circulating on Sunday morning. This was a surprising turn of events for Price and her colleagues, as they had tried to brush off the implications of her initial statement. In the selfie, Price is seen standing in front of Dutton, further drawing attention to her unintentional association with Trump’s slogan.
During her speech on Saturday, Price had emphasized the importance of standing beside incredible candidates to bring Australia back to its former glory and get the country back on track. However, after the “make Australia great again” comment, all other aspects of her speech were overshadowed. Commentators noted the panic in Dutton’s eyes as the focus shifted to Price’s unintentional echo of Trump’s slogan.
Following the circulation of the selfie showing Price wearing a Make America Great Again cap, there was intense media interest in the incident. Price herself expressed surprise at the unintended association with Trump’s slogan, with some reports indicating she was unaware of having made the reference during her speech. The episode created an awkward and uncomfortable situation for Price and her colleagues who had attempted to move past the controversy.
The media attention and public scrutiny surrounding Price’s unintentional echo of Trump’s slogan continued to escalate in the aftermath of the incident. The scrutiny on Price’s similarities to Trump’s messaging drew attention away from the intended message of her speech and overshadowed the campaign event where the comment was made. The incident at the Mount Pleasant Bowling Club in Perth became a focal point of discussion and scrutiny in the political sphere.
In conclusion, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s inadvertent use of a slogan associated with Donald Trump sparked intense media interest and public scrutiny. The incident created an uncomfortable situation for Price and her colleagues, who had attempted to downplay the comment. Despite their efforts to move on from the controversy, the image of Price wearing a Make America Great Again cap further highlighted the unintended association with Trump’s rhetoric. The incident underscored the challenges of managing messaging and public perception in politics, particularly in an era of heightened media scrutiny and political polarization.
