On Thursday, September 17, President Trump announced that he will be creating a new educational initiative to "promote patriotic education" in an upcoming executive order.
The initiative seems to a be a reaction to The New York Times' "The 1619 Project" which looks at American history through the lens of racial injustice by "placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative."
President Trump has been an outspoken critic of teaching young Americans about racial inequality.
Trump announces that he will soon form a "National Commission to Promote Patriotic Education."— Felicia Sonmez (@Felicia Sonmez) 1600369646.0
We may not have any correspondents in China at the moment, but there's no shortage of Beijing-style rhetoric in Trump's speech today.— Felicia Sonmez (@Felicia Sonmez) 1600370028.0
Trump just announced he will soon be signing an executive order establishing a "national commission to promote patr… https://t.co/vRpqEjSKgZ— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche Alcindor) 1600369834.0
On social media, many people saw President Trump's attempt to push a sanitized version of history onto young people as a step towards fascism.
Call it what it is: fascism. https://t.co/O4Xtg3j5Zu— Ilan Ben-Meir (@Ilan Ben-Meir) 1600371610.0
That definitely doesn't sound fascist or anything https://t.co/lVtu5av3pd— Rep. Don Beyer (@Rep. Don Beyer) 1600371480.0
Supporting America doesn't mean ignoring its many flaws and mistakes.
We can give that message to our children.
@feliciasonmez My kids won't participate in indoctrination.— liberalgoddess Douglass deserves Statehood Ουράνια (@liberalgoddess Douglass deserves Statehood Ουράνια) 1600372294.0
Would be slightly more believable if Trump wasn’t a Russian agent. https://t.co/c7ig6vdfJ3— Arne Duncan (@Arne Duncan) 1600371720.0
If only Trump cared as much about PPE for health care workers as he does about PPE for white supremacists. https://t.co/STjomKopso— Jesse Ferguson (@Jesse Ferguson) 1600370352.0
Trump's new initiative drew some very unflattering comparisons.
Sounds about white https://t.co/saKtUEM7PU— Jessica Mason Pieklo (@Jessica Mason Pieklo) 1600371063.0
Is that Republican for ‘Hitler Youth’? https://t.co/TGFkktwCgv— Andrea Kuszewski 🧠 (@Andrea Kuszewski 🧠) 1600371871.0
History and true facts are two things Trump has never been particularly passionate about.
Learning the shameful parts of our nation's history allows you to better understand our present problems. It also e… https://t.co/BI9pATQ3QJ— Brian Lyman (@Brian Lyman) 1600372072.0
Perhaps President Trump needs a lesson of his own before he starts trying to push educational initiatives on the students of America.