Donald Trump is betting on a cult of personality. Not only are cards offering citizenship being named after him, but his signature is also set to appear on banknotes.
American President Donald Trump has decided that, despite his critics, he will build his own immortality. It's no longer enough to name some buildings after himself or lend them his image, he's also preparing for another masterstroke - placing his own signature on all new dollar bills. This has never happened to any president in the history of his country!
The current President of the United States was captivated during his recent March speech at the White House by a golden tractor parked under the balcony. He interrupted his own address to the assembled farmers to claim the machine, calling it beautiful. This example shows how Donald Trump thinks and acts.
It's no surprise that a strong civic opposition has been rising against him for several months, with the central slogan "No king." Beyond mass protests, the public's criticism is perhaps best encapsulated by an event that took place at the end of March. Opponents of Trump installed a throne with a golden toilet in the center of Washington as a critique of the White House renovation ordered by the President. The throne, styled in marble and gold, has a toilet seat and a plaque with the inscription "A Throne Fit for a King." Like a modern-day king, Trump often presents himself to show the world that he is now the ruler of America.
MAGA Movement – Trump Loyalists
The worship of Trump is not accidental. In fact, it reaches far back into history. The MAGA movement, which wholeheartedly supports the American head of state, draws upon the slogan Make America Great Again. This slogan was first used in 1980 by President Ronald Reagan. Since around 2016, it began to reappear in public. Trump began wearing it on his cap during campaign rallies. Millions of these original caps have been sold since then. The movement, which relies on nationalism, protectionist trade policies, limiting immigration, and populist criticism of the elites, reveres their idol despite the fact that during his previous administration, he failed to fulfill at least 50 campaign promises.
Thanks to the MAGA movement, Trump is moving into a realm that often has very little to do with reality. At the start of his second presidential term, he came up with the idea of renaming a New York cultural center that had until then borne the name of the assassinated Democratic President Kennedy. Because of this, he also dismissed its board members and appointed himself as chairman. Since the end of last year, this venue, which focuses on theater, dance, classical and jazz music, has been renamed the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center. Democrats have already filed a protest against this. They argue that the name should not be determined by the president of the country, but by Congress. It doesn't stop there. Some artists who were supposed to perform there are also in an uproar. For instance, the well-known composer Philip Glass has withdrawn his decision to premiere his Symphony No. 15 "Lincoln" there, and has since canceled it.
Airports, Stations, and Gold Cards
A media-attracting issue is the proposal to rename Dulles Airport in Washington and Penn Station in New York. In the first case, Republicans have not yet managed to change the legislation for this. In the second case, Trump himself publicly promised that if the station's name were changed, he would stop blocking funding for the construction of the New York tunnel under the Hudson River. However, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer firmly rejected this, and the cities of New York and New Jersey have already taken the matter to court, arguing that blocking such an investment is illegal.
In light of the war against Iran, the attempt to rename the Strait of Hormuz to either the American or Trump Strait is undoubtedly interesting. In the past, the president gave the Gulf of Mexico the moniker American. And when some journalists refused to use this new name, a court had to intervene, stating that enforcing such a naming was illegal.
To secure a prominent position in American history, Trump came up with a number of other initiatives bearing his name. Whether it be gold cards offering a path to citizenship, the TrumpRx websites with cheaper prescription drugs, or new battleships meant to symbolize the United States achieving peace through strength via his policies. In recent times, large banners with Trump's portrait have also appeared on several federal buildings, including the Department of Labor, Department of Agriculture, and most recently, the Department of Justice.
Dollar Bills with Signature
The latest PR move by the president's team is the decision of the U.S. Treasury Department to print President Donald Trump's signature on all new dollar bills. For the sitting American president, such a step would be unprecedented. Typically, U.S. bills only bear the signatures of the Secretary of the Treasury and the Treasurer of the United States. The plan was first reported by the magazine Vanity Fair, which states that, according to its sources, the new bills are set to enter circulation in the coming months.
The plan to place the signature of the current head of the White House on dollar bills comes hand in hand with a proposal to produce a commemorative coin with his likeness to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The proposal for the 24-karat gold was unanimously approved by the U.S. Commission on Fine Arts, whose members Trump dismissed last October and replaced with his allies in January.
Sources: original article, Vanity Fair, ČTK, Novinky.cz, ČT
