In Fourth Of July Remarks, Trump Attacks 'Radical Left'

[Bill Swift]

In a Fourth of July speech aimed at commemorating the military on
Saturday, President Trump hit on familiar divisive themes, condemning the
"radical left" and the media he accused of "slander."

During the second annual "Salute To America" event held on the South Lawn,
the president drew a comparison between historic American wartime
victories and stopping the "radical left."

"American heroes defeated the Nazis, dethroned the fascists, toppled the
communists, saved American values, upheld American principles, and chased
down the terrorists to the very ends of the Earth," the president told
attendees. "We are now in the process of defeating the radical left, the
Marxists, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters and people who in
many instances have absolutely no clue what they are doing."

Trump also went after protesters who've rallied to take down statues and
monuments that honor Confederate leaders and others known to have
supported or profited off of slavery and racism.

"We will never allow an angry mob to tear down our statues, erase our
history, indoctrinate our children, or trample on our freedoms," he said.

Trump said media outlets "slander" him and "falsely and consistently label
their opponents as racists."

The president also returned to his call for the creation of the National
Garden of American Heroes, for which he signed an executive order on
Friday.

He said his administration has already selected "30 legends," men and
women that include: John Adams, Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Daniel
Boone, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Henry Clay, Davy Crockett, Frederick
Douglass, Amelia Earhart, Benjamin Franklin, Billy Graham, Alexander
Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln,
Douglas MacArthur, Dolley Madison, James Madison, Christa McAuliffe, Audie
Murphy, George S. Patton, Ronald Reagan, Jackie Robinson, Betsy Ross,
Antonin Scalia, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, Booker T.
Washington, George Washington, and Orville and Wilbur Wright.

The celebration comes as the U.S. sees a surge in coronavirus infections.
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser advised the public to follow CDC-
recommended hygiene measures to prevent the spread of the virus, including
wearing face coverings and avoiding large gatherings.

While the Department of Interior said that more than 300,000 cloth masks
would be available for visitors attending the National Mall festivities,
Trump faced a largely maskless crowd on the South Lawn.

https://www.npr.org/2020/07/04/887346956/in-fourth-of-july-remarks-trump-
attacks-radical-left