New York congresswoman Claudia Tenney confronted an offended wave of criticism over the weekend after she launched a invoice to formally designate June 14, which is Flag Day, as a federal vacation to commemorate President Donald Trump’s start.
“No trendy president has been extra pivotal for our nation than Donald J. Trump,” mentioned the Republican consultant, who has served within the Home since 2021. “As each our forty fifth and forty seventh President, he’s essentially the most consequential President in trendy American historical past, main our nation at a time of nice worldwide and home turmoil,” she mentioned in a press release.
Tenney praised Trump’s report, citing achievements just like the Abraham Accords between Israel and Arab nations in 2020, in addition to a significant tax minimize for the wealthy. She then made the outrageous comparability of Trump to George Washington, the nation’s first president and a Founding Father of the USA.
“Simply as George Washington’s Birthday is codified as a federal vacation, this invoice will add Trump’s Birthday to this listing, recognizing him because the founding father of America’s Golden Age,” she mentioned.
In doing so, Tenney ignored Trump’s scandalous status, together with his current felony conviction, in addition to a civil verdict discovering him accountable for sexual abuse, and two impeachments in his first time period, which led to a number of federal costs that had been in the end dismissed following Trump’s second election victory.
“Moreover, as our nation prepares to rejoice its 250th anniversary, we should always create a brand new federal vacation honoring the American Flag and all that it represents,” Tenney wrote.
Tenney then tried to make use of Flag Day to cement Trump’s legacy alongside the American flag, framing his presidency as important to the nation’s identification, at the same time as he examined the bounds of the Structure in his first month in workplace by means of a flurry of questionable government orders.
“By designating Trump’s Birthday and Flag Day as a federal vacation, we are able to guarantee President Trump’s contributions to American greatness and the significance of the American Flag are ceaselessly enshrined into regulation,” Tenney mentioned. “Born on June 14, 1946, President Donald J. Trump’s birthday coincided with Flag Day, which is noticed yearly and acknowledges the anniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes because the official US flag in 1777. This laws would completely codify a brand new federal vacation known as “Trump’s Birthday and Flag Day” on June 14 to honor this historic day.”
Tenney’s transfer appeared aligned with Trump’s broader push to reshape American establishments, very like his try to rename the Gulf of Mexico because the Gulf of America — a radical departure from established norms.
Since taking workplace in January, Trump has moved aggressively to shrink the federal authorities — dismantling USAID and showing set to focus on different companies in clear violation of statutory limits, whereas freezing congressionally licensed spending with out clear authorized authority.
Social media critics mentioned the expansive variety of government orders issued by Trump had been a part of a broader Republican technique to “flood the zone” with the purpose of conserving the press guessing whereas pushing ahead main parts of Challenge 2025.
Lots of Trump’s coverage strikes contain cutbacks recognized by billionaire Elon Musk and his congressionally unauthorized Division of Authorities Effectivity, and have already confronted judicial roadblocks, with courts not less than quickly halting their implementation.
In gentle of all this, some believed Tenney’s invoice would solely serve to embolden Trump, probably resulting in a repeat of the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, or worse.
Social media erupted with quite a few voices condemning Tenney for her obvious fealty to Trump, with many observing she had change into a part of Trump’s “cult,” one submit said on X.
One other submit blasted Tenney for elevating Trump to the standing of demigod, calling it an outright show of blind devotion.
“This goes past regular political admiration,” this particular person wrote on X. “Turning such a vile man into some sort of nationwide figurehead on par with MLK or Washington is a complete completely different stage. We hold saying it’s a cult and so they hold proving us proper.”
One other added, “Claudia Tenney is giving Marjorie Taylor Greene a run for her cash within the race to be essentially the most cultish member of Congress. A federal vacation for Trump’s birthday? This isn’t patriotism—it’s absurd, embarrassing, and pure authoritarian worship.”
Amid the current authorities upheaval, Trump has hinted at his broader views on presidential energy. Over the weekend, he wrote on Fact Social and in a while X, “He who saves his Nation doesn’t violate any Regulation,” a quote many imagine echoes Napoleon Bonaparte’s justification for consolidating energy in France within the late 18th century.
Again in November, only a week after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump addressed the Home Republican Convention and brazenly joked about operating for a 3rd time period — a transfer that will blatantly violate the Structure. Since 1951, following Franklin D. Roosevelt’s unprecedented four-term presidency, the twenty second Modification has explicitly barred presidents from serving greater than two phrases. Earlier than that, the two-term restrict was an unwritten custom set by George Washington.
“I think I received’t be operating once more until you say he’s so good we received to determine one thing else out,” Trump mentioned on the time.
It stays to be seen whether or not Republicans will problem the twenty second Modification as Trump urged, however current developments point out this risk may achieve traction later in Trump’s time period, with GOP lawmakers up to now exhibiting solidarity with the brand new administration’s each transfer.
