Donald Trump: Faux Patriot; Embraces the Flag, not July 4 Values
The 250th anniversary of America's independence -- July 4, 2026, two years from today -- may well be led by a man who is the antithesis of real patriotism, Donald J. Trump.
The front runner for the November election wraps himself in the flag and rhetorical bursts like "make America great again" and "take our country back from the Communists." He is a fan of liberty, only if it advantages him.
I love Independence Day: years ago reporting on politicians in small town parades and picnics, subsequent years taking our kids to watch the fireworks from the top of the Federal Reserve building and now ending the day watching PBS' inspiring musical tribute, "A Capitol Fourth."
It should be about patriotism, love of country, celebrating the virtues embodied at Philadelphia in 1776. We should read the Declaration of Independence today. (It actually was approved on July 2 but printed on the fourth.)
I'd be surprised if Trump ever read, much less identified with, those stirring words. He may be the only President who is a stranger to genuine patriotism, according to two knowledgeable experts on the subject: Joseph Ellis, the best selling author and most influential scholar on the founding fathers, and John Pitney, a political science professor, long-time Republican and author of Un-American: The Fake Patriotism of Donald J., Trump.