Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, defended President Trump’s July 4 speech amid criticism from liberals, and awkward silence from some conservatives, that Trump’s speech was divisive rather than unifying.
Calling him “absolutely one of the best he’s ever given,” the Tennessee Republican praised the president’s message for reminding “the American people and that we are unique.”
“I thought the speech was absolutely one of the best he has ever given and how appropriate it reminded the American people and that we are unique and that you can bet on hope or fear,” Blackburn said during an interview on “Sunday Morning Futures. “
She added: “In this country, you have the ability to do whatever you want to dream about. Those are big dreams and they make them come true. ”
TRUMP, IN THE DIRECTION FIERY MOUNT RUSHMORE, CLAIMS THE GROWTH OF ‘FAR’ FASCISM, ‘CALLS THE AMERICANS TO GET UP
Trump promised on Saturday to “safeguard our values” from internal enemies (leftists, looters, agitators, he said) in a July 4 speech filled with all the complaints and combativeness of his political demonstrations.
“We are now in the process of defeating the radical left, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters, and the people who, in many cases, have absolutely no idea what they are doing,” he said. “We will never allow an angry crowd to tear down our statues, erase our history, indoctrinate our children.”
He added: “And we will defend, protect and preserve (the) American way of life, which began in 1492 when Columbus discovered America.”
He did not mention the nearly 130,000 people known to have died from COVID-19 in the United States.
While Blackburn praised Trump’s speech, many other Republicans have tried to distance themselves from the president’s rhetoric in his speech and a similar one on Friday at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.
When asked Sunday during a CNN “State of the Union” appearance about Trump’s rhetoric, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, went astray and said there was “a high level of frustration across the United States. “
“We have flaws in our history and we need to come together and have some very difficult discussions about our past,” he said. “The best thing about this nation is that we can learn from those imperfections, learn from those difficult times in the past, and continue to evolve as a continually blessed nation.”
During his speech at Mount Rushmore, and later in an executive order, Trump proposed the idea of establishing a “National Garden of American Heroes” that will pay tribute to some of the most prominent figures in the history of the United States, a collection of “The Greatest Americans Will Always Live”.
The 30+ feature group includes the Founding Fathers and Presidents, Civil Rights Pioneers and Aviation Innovators, Explorers and Generals. Absent from Trump’s initial list are Native Americans, Hispanics, or Asian-Americans.
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Trump spoke enthusiastically on Saturday about his selections as an “incredible group,” but also noted that “they are just some of the people” he is considering and “are subject to change.”
“But once we make that decision, those big names will be there and will never come down,” Trump said in a speech at his “Salute for America” celebration at the White House to mark Independence Day.
Trump in recent weeks has repeatedly condemned the desecration and overthrow of historic statues by protesters during protests over racial injustice and police brutality following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
In his interview on Sunday, Blackburn praised the president’s idea, calling it “a great base.”
“Those of us who study history and appreciate history can review that list and tell them something meaningful that each of those individuals did or said that inspired us in some way,” he said. “So as you put together this list, I think it’s really wonderful and how appropriate.”
Associated Press contributed to this report.
