Since his election, Donald Trump’s looming presidency has seemed irrevocably tied into popular culture, from his previous work as a reality TV show judge to TV series like Black Mirror and Parks & Recreation that have seemed to predict his rise to power.

However, it now looks as if Trump might be taking direct inspiration from popular culture himself – because his planned slogan for his re-election in 2020 is lifted straight from a horror movie.

"Are you ready?" Trump said to the Washington Post. "'Keep America Great,' exclamation point. Get me my lawyer!" (Trump called for one of his staff to trademark the slogan).

Now, obviously this is a development of his current strap-line Make America Great Again – but as some have pointed out, it's also the election slogan used in 2016 slasher The Purge: Election Year, which builds on the original premise of the Purge films (where all crime is legal for 12 hours a year) to tell the story of a politician trying to end the Purge.

The “Keep America Great” slogan is used by the film’s fictional incumbent government to support the continuation of the deadly practice, and you can see it used at the end of the fake advert below which advertised the film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apN1ptgguzg

Still, it’s unlikely Trump picked up the idea from the movie – The Purge: Election Year writer and director James DeMonaco has previously stated that the movie was inspired by the 2016 election, so really it’s just two different people riffing on the same “Make America Great Again” phrase.

However, it’s yet another instance of life imitating art when it comes to Donald Trump’s political career, and another way for an entertainment website to vaguely discuss politics. We’re beginning to notice a trend.

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