Donald Trump’s patriotic vision for America; the attacks of all kinds that he has endured and overcome through sheer will; his sacrifices, personal, temporal, and financial; and the sheer magnitude of his impact on our nation, its political culture, and its history have long led me to think along the lines of a proper tribute to the man. In my (now not insubstantial) lifetime, the greatness of his leadership has been equaled only by Ronald Reagan — and Trump is still creating his legacy.
The man has stepped beyond mere impactful leadership and has risen to the stratospheric level of becoming a true American icon. This is not something that can be manufactured, as Democrats try to do when they install one of their "Historic Firsts" into a position of power and surround him with the finest marketing and messaging the industry can provide.
Sure, Barack Obama was the first "black president," and hope and change and all that, and there was a photo of him with a hagiographic circular blur behind his head — but what did he actually do? Ask one of his admirers and they'll probably say that he broke some barrier or something, but that wasn't Obama's achievement: it was American society's.
Trump, on the other hand, is a straight, Christian(ish) old white guy, and no accolade is ever granted to his kind that isn't earned tenfold. And boy, has he earned his place in history.
Reagan survived a more injurious assassination attempt than Trump, and he was the embodiment of a leader when he walked bravely into the hospital as though it was just a scratch to prevent panic. Trump rose from the ground with his fist in the air and blood streaming down his face, creating the single most iconic image in modern history. As an aside, if Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci does NOT win the Pulitzer Prize for capturing that image, then it is time to disband the Pulitzer Prize Board. Trump has also withstood years of persecution — of himself and his family and associates — and sacrificed millions of dollars to serve and to set things right.
In short, unless he does something disqualifying in the next four years, Donald Trump has earned a place on Mount Rushmore, in my humble opinion. I fully expect public works, statues, and monuments to bear his name and likeness as our nation's history winds on. The first of these is already under construction, in hopes of being unveiled on Trump's historic second Inauguration Day.
In August, just weeks after then-candidate Trump took a bullet in the ear, the $PATRIOT cryptocurrency group engaged renowned American sculptor Alan Cottrill to create a two-story-tall bronze statue of the candidate with his fist raised in defiance. Cottrill has created well over 300 statues over the 30 years of his career, including the likeness of Thomas Edison that stands in the U.S. Capitol.
So honored to be a part of this historic project https://t.co/3Hqogb7QzE
— 🦺👽Dustin Stockton 🏴☠️ (@DustinStockton) November 27, 2024
The $PATRIOT group launched the cryptocurrency token Patriot on Nov. 5, 2024. In a statement on its website devoted to the statue project, the group says:
$PATRIOT is honoring Donald J. Trump with a bronze statue, commemorating the sacrifices he’s made to preserve the fabric of American society. Through God's intervention, he continues to fight for us all.
Donald J. Trump's commitment to “America First” is emphasized by his policies that are centered around economic prosperity, preserving the constitution and enhanced security measures to ensure the safety of every citizen.
Donald J. Trump is a defender of liberty. $PATRIOT’s statue of DJT is symbolic of a new movement sweeping the globe.
We invite you to join $PATRIOT in highlighting DJT and his fight to preserve the traditional values that make America great.
The completed sculpture will stand at a majestic 22 feet tall, comprised of the 17-foot figure atop a 5-foot pedestal. It will be cast of bronze and reinforced internally with a steel armature. Once the sculptural tribute is complete, plans are in discussion for a private unveiling to the Trump family before a public unveiling in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025. From there, the Patriot statuary is expected to travel the country for public viewing, including a stop at the site of the inspirational moment it portrays — Butler, Pa. It will ultimately arrive in a permanent home, perhaps the Trump Presidential Library or even the home of the 45th and 47th president himself.
This is a great start! But if Trump's second term is as transformational as it promises to be, I fully expect to see a massive monument on the National Mall someday.
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