President Trump delivered a speech at Mount Rushmore Friday evening saying protesters are waging “a merciless campaign to wipe out our history” amid demonstrations against racial injustice and police brutality. Trump says he will protect American history.
The sharp rebuke in a holiday address 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 honoring those who have benefited from slavery. “This movement is openly attacking the legacies of every person on Mount Rushmore,“ Trump said. He adds that some on the political left hope to “defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children.“ The event drew thousands of spectators. The president spoke before a big fireworks show, the first to be held at the site in over a decade. Hours before Trump arrived, protesters blocked a road leading to the monument. Authorities worked to move the demonstrators, mostly Native Americans protesting that South Dakota’s Black Hills were taken from the Lakota people against treaty agreements. About 15 protesters were arrested after missing a police-imposed deadline to leave.
