Mt Rushmore speech: Donald Trump vows tougher measures for protesters who seek to ‘defame’ heroes

Speaking to a largely maskless crowd at Mt Rushmore, President Donald Trump said on Saturday that protesters have waged “a merciless campaign to wipe out our history” amid demonstrations against racial injustice and police brutality.

The sharp rebuke in a holiday address on Friday (local time) to mark the nation’s independence follows weeks of protests across the nation, sparked by the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.

Some demonstrators have also destroyed or damaged Confederate monuments and statues honouring those who have benefited from slavery.

“This movement is openly attacking the legacies of every person on Mt Rushmore,” Mr Trump said, adding that some on the political left hope to “defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children”.

Mr Trump said he would establish a national garden of American heroes, which he described as “a vast outdoor park that will feature the statues of the greatest Americans who ever lived”.

Mr Trump led into the announcement by paying tribute to a litany of American icons, from political figures like Ulysses S. Grant and Frederick Douglass to entertainers like Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.

The executive order released on Friday by the White House said the garden would feature statues of several presidents as well as other historic notables, including Davy Crockett, Amelia Earhart, Billy Graham, Harriet Tubman and Orville and Wilbur Wright.

Mr Trump’s speech, intended to rev up his conservative base, comes as Mr Trump has seen his standing slump over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and response to protests and unrest around the country.

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