After decrying 'merciless campaign to wipe out our history,' Trump announces new statue park


A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
President Trump on Friday gave a speech at the foot of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota during a controversial Independence Day celebration, where many attendees reportedly weren't wearing masks and ignored public health guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The president railed against "cancel culture" and "far-left fascism" while describing activists' efforts to remove statues and monuments across the country following protests against police brutality and systemic racism as "a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children." Trump said "angry mobs" are not only trying to "deface our sacred memorials," but "unleash a violent wave of crime in our cities."
As a response, the president announced he was signing an executive order to establish the National Garden of American Heroes, a vast outdoor park featuring statues of "the greatest Americans to ever live." The suggestion list for who should be represented in the park is long — including, but not limited to, presidents like George Washington, civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., and athletes like Jackie Robinson. Read more about Trump's time at Mount Rushmore at The Associated Press and The Guardian.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.