We know a lot about Donald Trump. We know that despite his position as President of the United States and all the responsibility that entails, he is foremost motivated by pettiness and ego. We know this, and yet we are still surprised when he acts solely on those deep-seated issues.
On Friday, just hours after he was sworn into office, President Trump declared the date of his Inauguration as the “National Day of Patriotic Devotion.”
Sounds like something a dictator would do, no?
“Now, therefore, I, Donald J. Trump, president of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Jan. 20, 2017, as National Day of Patriotic Devotion, in order to strengthen our bonds to each other and to our country — and to renew the duties of government to the people.”
The order also involves a great deal of flowery language about the strength of the American people.
“Our Constitution is written on parchment, but it lives in the hearts of the American people. There is no freedom where the people do not believe in it; no law where the people do not follow it; and no peace where the people do not pray for it.”
Yay, more mixing of church and state!
Yes, this apparently was so pressing and important that it was one of the few things Trump accomplished on his first actual day in office – though the Trump administration refers to Monday as his first “working” day in office.
Despite the outrageous nature of the holiday, President Obama also declared his inauguration date in 2009 to be a holiday, the “National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation.” Just reading that title, you can see the clear difference here.
We knew Trump’s ego was as shallow as a puddle on a hot day, but for him to declare his own holiday under the guise of patriotism when he lost the popular vote? This does not bode well for the next four years.
