Trump To Anti-Founding Protesters: ‘Rushmore Will Stand Forever'
President condemns protesters seeking to destroy American monuments
© press
President Donald Trump reiterated his stance on law, order, and patriotism during his speech at the historic Mt. Rushmore for Independence Day celebration on Friday night.
Trump condemned protesters seeking to destroy monuments to American history.
“I am here as your president to proclaim before the country and before the world: This monument will never be desecrated; these heroes will never be defaced; their legacy will never ever be destroyed; their achievements will not be forgotten, and Mount Rushmore will stand forever as an eternal tribute to our forefathers and our freedom,” Trump said.
“This movement is openly attacking the legacies of every person on Mount Rushmore,” Trump said of protesters.
“Today, we will set history and history’s record straight.”
America NEEDED This Speech 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/UTkI3k46DE
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) July 4, 2020
© press
Each of the four presidents on Mount Rushmore represents a different era of accomplishment in American history — Washington symbolizes the nation’s founding, Jefferson represents American expansion, Lincoln symbolizes preservation, and Theodore Roosevelt represents development.
Trump returned to his observations about American values, and the need for them to prevail.
“We want free and open debate, not speech codes and cancel culture. We embrace tolerance, not prejudice,” said Trump.
B-1B flyover. @MountRushmoreNM pic.twitter.com/x5kBFetyn8
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) July 4, 2020
Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem also condemned efforts to tear down the memory of America’s founders.
“Make no mistake, [protests against the Founders] are being done deliberately to discredit America’s founding principles by discrediting the individuals who formed them so that America can be remade into a different political image,” she said.
© press
In recent weeks, various statues and monuments like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Christopher Columbus have all fallen victim to Black Lives Matter rioters.
Last month, Noem told the "woke" mob on the prospect of them eying up the historical monument:
“Not on my watch," she warned.
Not on my watch. https://t.co/U6gGap5Ib6
— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) June 23, 2020
In June, a statue of Col. Hans Christian Heg, a Norwegian immigrant who died fighting against slavery, was vandalized before being torn down by Black Lives Matter protesters in Madison, Wisconsin.
Meanwhile, historic Christopher Columbus statue was also torn down, despite it sculpted by an Italian immigrant and was presented as a gift for Minnesota’s Italian-Americans.
Last month, a memorial in California dedicated to survivors of the Holocaust was toppled and smashed by vandals.
