NPR

It's Hard To Miss The Historical Weirdness Of Trump Embracing A 'Red' Wave

On Election Night 1976, TV maps had the GOP in blue, Democrats in red. The same color scheme prevailed in 1980 when Ronald Reagan turned most of the map blue before the West Coast got home for supper.
President Trump has been pushing back on the notion of a "blue wave," and embracing the idea of a "red wave." But the adaptation of "red" is a popular culture shift from the Cold War.

If you're a Republican or a conservative from the old school, it's a little hard to relate to President Trump shouting, "Red Wave!" at his rallies, or tweeting it out in all caps, as he has done this week.

Literally, he tweeted just those two words in all caps.

It should be lost on no one that the president is countering the talk he hears about a "Blue Wave," which is media shorthand for Democrats' promising prospects in the coming November elections.

But somehow the phrase "red wave" does not quite feel comfortable. It's probably better than "red tide," which connotes

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