Trump Uses Mount Rushmore Speech to Divide America & Fuel Culture War

Yesterday Donald Trump spoke to about 3700 people on the eve of Independence Day at Mount Rushmore. One can imagine a real president using the opportunity to heal divisions within the country by laying out a vision for a unified nation defeating the Covid-19 pandemic and working together to achieve greater racial harmony by addressing systemic racism in America. That would have been a speech worthy of this great nation on its birthday. But, that isn't who Donald Trump is. He has no interest in unifying America, or forging racial harmony. To him, such sentiments are for losers, idealists and "snowflakes," to use the vernacular of his followers.

So, instead, our President spoke to his political base at Mount Rushmore about "mayhem," "angry mobs" in the streets and some imagined "cultural revolution," seeking to overthrow "civilization" as we know it.

New York Times, Trump: “Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values and indoctrinate our children,” Mr. Trump said, addressing a packed crowd of sign-waving supporters, few of whom wore masks. “Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our founders, deface our most sacred memorials and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities.”

The President continued in the same vein without addressing the real concerns of Black Lives Matter demonstrators or even the coronavirus pandemic ravaging America. It was all nonsense, bombast and hyperbole, of course, but it probably played well to the Fox News, QAnon folks that view Trump as America's savior, protecting us from deep-state satan-worshiping pedophiles, immigrants, lesbians, and brown-skinned people.

After three plus years of racism, xenophobia and science-denying stupidity, It's very difficult to take anything the President says seriously. But there is always this nagging hope that he will realize the damage he is causing our nation, that he will use his influence, his bully pulpit, as Teddy Roosevelt called it, to accomplish something positive. One can imagine the speech that Lincoln, FDR, or Obama would have given yesterday and dream of having a leader again that sees the greatness America can achieve if we move forward together.

#news #opinion #Trump

By: Don Lam & Curated Content