Posted on Saturday, November 30, 2024
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by Andrew Shirley
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0 Comments
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In the days following November 5, there was plenty of discussion about what Trump’s victory would mean for the economy, border crisis, and foreign policy. But one other important consequence of Trump’s return to the White House is that the United States will get the 250th birthday party it deserves. Even for those Americans who didn’t support Trump this year, it’s difficult to not be excited about his momentous plans to honor our country and its history.
In a policy video released in May 2023 which since Election Day has once again been making the rounds on social media, Trump promised to “convene a White House task force called ‘Salute to America 250’” on day one of his administration “to ensure not just one day of celebration, but an entire year of festivities across the nation starting on Memorial Day 2025 and continuing through July 4th, 2026.”
That celebration will include, according to Trump, “the Great American State Fair, a unique one-year exhibition featuring pavilions from all 50 states” that will “showcase the glory of every state in the Union, promote pride in our history, and put forth innovative visions for America’s future.” Governor Kim Reynolds has already accepted Trump’s request to host the fair at the famed Iowa State Fairgrounds.
Along with the fair, Trump has proposed hosting “major sporting contests for high school athletes” known as “The Patriot Games” which “will allow young Americans from every state to show off the best of American skills, sportsmanship, and competitive spirit.”
By sheer coincidence, while “America 250” will undoubtedly be the largest showcase of American patriotism during Trump’s administration, it will not be the only one. The 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer championship games will also occur from June 11 to July 19 across North America. Sixteen cities will host games: two in Canada, three in Mexico, and eleven in the United States. Further, the 2028 Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles from July 14 to July 30.
President Trump will preside over all of these events and will undoubtedly look to infuse each with a healthy dose of patriotic zeal that has been lacking from American culture in recent years. These opportunities could not come at a more critical moment, as a June 2024 poll found that only 41 percent of respondents considered themselves “extremely proud” to be an American. In that same poll in 2003, 70 percent of respondents stated they felt “extremely proud” of their national identity.
Revitalizing patriotism and a sense of national pride has always been a centerpiece of Trump’s “America First” agenda, a fact reflected in his “Make America Great Again” slogan. “A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights, and heal our divisions,” Trump said during his first inaugural address in 2017. “Whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American Flag.”
Trump followed through on this pledge to restore national pride in 2019 and 2020 by hosting two “Salute to America” events on the Fourth of July, massive celebrations of America in the nation’s capital featuring military flyovers and spectacular fireworks displays.
Additionally, in 2020 Trump traveled to Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota and delivered what many consider to be the best speech of his presidency. “We gather tonight to herald the most important day in the history of nations: July 4th, 1776,” Trump said. “At those words, every American heart should swell with pride. Every American family should cheer with delight. And every American patriot should be filled with joy, because each of you lives in the most magnificent country in the history of the world, and it will soon be greater than ever before.”
During his first term, Trump also made plans to build a “National Garden of American Heroes,” a statuary park erected as a “new monument to our country’s greatness” which would “reflect the awesome splendor of our country’s timeless exceptionalism.” Though Biden canceled plans for the garden, Trump has pledged to restart the project as soon as he takes office
Trump also established the “1776 Commission” in 2020 in recognition of the importance of teaching honest American history and promoting patriotism in youth education. “In recent years, a series of polemics grounded in poor scholarship has vilified our Founders and our founding,” Trump’s executive order establishing the commission reads. “Despite the virtues and accomplishments of this Nation, many students are now taught in school to hate their own country, and to believe that the men and women who built it were not heroes, but rather villains.”
The Commission’s final report, released in January of 2021, dispels this false notion of American history and affirms the noble principles that America was founded on.
Americans can expect more such initiatives over the next four years, along with a legendary 250th birthday celebration. More than just making America great again, Trump’s second term agenda promises to make America proud again.
Andrew Shirley is a veteran speechwriter and AMAC Newsline columnist. His commentary can be found on X at @AA_Shirley.
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