In recent times, right-wing and far-right political movements around the globe have co-opted their respective nation’s flags, national anthems, and other patriotic symbols, using them as propagandist tools to claim themselves as their nation’s “true patriots.” This has sparked outrage among many other citizens, particularly those in more moderate and progressive circles. However, it appears that these adversaries are now embracing patriotism themselves. The College Tribune investigates what this cultural shift means for flag-waving as a political tool.
Many citizens have grown weary of their national flags and patriotism due to changing interpretations of their meaning. For many outside of the right-wing bubble, the use of flags and other patriotic symbols has become a hallmark of division—an often banal tactic used by far-right and authoritarian campaigns to invoke sentiments of ethnocentrism, hatred of immigrants, intolerance, and racism. For some, gestures that once inspired pride in national achievements have been transformed into shameful and insidious dog whistles. Many have shied away from patriotism, fearing being misidentified as supporting a particular ideology.
In Brazil, the yellow football shirt, long synonymous with their national football team’s success, symbolised national identity, pride, and the unity brought by the team’s achievements. Walter Casagrande, a former Brazil player from the 1986 World Cup, said the yellow shirt once represented “democracy, justice, and freedom.” However, when prominent Brazilian players like Thiago Silva and Neymar began endorsing right-wing authoritarian Jair Bolsonaro for president in 2022, his supporters co-opted the famous shirt as their de facto uniform. Nearly all attendees of the 2023 riots at the Brazilian Congress, staged by Bolsonaro supporters who refused to accept the victory of current President Lula da Silva, wore the yellow jersey. The national flag, too, became a symbol of Bolsonaro’s authoritarian nationalist movement. In response, progressives called for the Brazil national team to revert to wearing white, the colour they traditionally wore before 1950. The white kit was discarded after it became a painful reminder of Brazil’s devastating World Cup final defeat to Uruguay in 1950.
Despite this, progressives are now trying to reclaim the yellow shirt, known in Brazil as the amarelinha. Ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, President Lula da Silva wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “We do not need to feel ashamed of wearing the green and yellow shirt. The shirt belongs not to a political party but to the Brazilian people.” Folha de São Paulo, a top progressive newspaper, along with other pro-democracy campaigners, has encouraged supporters to wear the yellow shirt once more proudly. Progressives, rather than ceding this national symbol to the far right, are determined to assert their ownership.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron has launched a plan to counter Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally by stating that he wants “France to stay France.” Macron aims to prevent the National Rally from monopolising patriotism, emphasising that French values belong to all citizens. To this end, Macron is implementing new patriotic policies in schools, such as teaching the national anthem young and expanding a two-week training period to promote French values.
In Ireland, Taoiseach Simon Harris delivered a speech urging citizens to “reclaim our flag.” This followed the controversial draping of the Irish tricolour over the casket of convicted Garda killer Pearse McAuley, which Harris described as shameful. He stated, “Let’s take back our flag.” The IRA has long used the Irish tricolour and has more recently been associated with anti-immigration protests. Harris criticised those who “shouted racist abuse” while standing alongside “potential paramilitary actors” and told them to “leave our flag alone.” He argued that these protest movements had “hijacked” the flag and directly opposed the true definition of patriotism.
As anyone familiar with the United States knows, no country in the West does flag-waving and patriotism quite like the Americans. Displaying the flag, or “Old Glory,” as colloquially known, outside homes, businesses, or schools is a longstanding tradition. According to a report by the Pew Research Center, in 2002, less than a year after the September 11 attacks, 75 per cent of American households displayed the stars and stripes outside their homes as a show of national solidarity. By 2007, this had dropped to 62 per cent. The Republican Party has traditionally laid claim to nationalist patriotism, with 73 per cent of Republicans displaying the flag in 2007, compared to 55 per cent of Democrats. Flag-waving has long been more common among white Americans, with 67 per cent displaying the flag versus 41 per cent of African Americans, further reinforcing the flag’s association with race.
In recent years, the U.S. flag has become intertwined with the increasingly radical, MAGA-dominated Republican Party. Patriotism has been a core of Trumpism, exemplified by Donald Trump’s use of flags on his planes and his signature red, white, and blue attire. His campaign has presented him as the “most pro-America president” in history. His birthday, June 14, coincidentally, is Flag Day in the U.S. One of Trump’s most notorious clashes over patriotism occurred when former NFL star Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem before a game, a move that Trump labelled “un-American.” The MAGA movement has co-opted many patriotic symbols, with Trump supporters sporting flags, hats, and bumper stickers bearing political slogans, often violating the U.S. Flag Code. Vanessa Friedman of The New York Times summed up Trump’s flag obsession, writing that he has become “the 51st star.”
At the 2020 Republican National Convention, Trump appeared onstage surrounded by 54 flags. However, at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the Democrats responded by reclaiming the symbolism of the stars and stripes. Mini flags were distributed to attendees, and Vice President Kamala Harris entered the stage to the chorus of Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin encouraged the crowd to “proudly claim” their patriotism, stating, “We should not give an inch to pretenders who wrap themselves in the flag but spit in the face of the freedoms it represents.”
As progressives continue this trend of reclaiming national symbols, right-wing movements will likely increasingly resort to using alternate versions of their flags. In the U.S., many MAGA supporters now display the Blue Lives Matter flag—a modified version of Old Glory with a black-and-white design and a blue line through the centre, symbolising solidarity with law enforcement. Meanwhile, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito made headlines for flying the U.S. flag upside down, a symbol used by those who do not accept the results of the 2020 election. These efforts aim to manipulate national symbols to represent particular groups over others.
However, the original versions of national flags are gradually being restored as symbols for all.
With the 2024 U.S. presidential election on the horizon, debates over patriotism and national symbols are heating up once again, with both major parties seeking to align themselves with the American flag and ideals of “true patriotism.” This election cycle, however, sees Democrats increasingly reclaiming the symbolism of the flag, aiming to distance it from associations with the radicalised wing of the Republican Party. In a politically polarised climate, symbols like the American flag, traditionally meant to unify, have often been wielded to divide, each side vying to redefine “true American values.”
The timing of this effort aligns with broader global trends, where progressive factions attempt to reclaim national symbols from far-right movements, seeking to redefine patriotism in inclusive terms. With the election just days away, flag-waving in the U.S. has taken on renewed political weight, as each party tries to secure its claim on what it means to be patriotic in America today. The question remains: Will this trend towards reclaiming national symbols bridge divides or merely deepen the ideological rift as Election Day draws closer?
By Eoin Gilligan – Politics Writer
