Donald Trump Declares His Inauguration Day To Be A “National Day Of Patriotic Devotion”
One of the first actions taken by President Trump on his first day in office was to name his Inauguration Day a “National Day Of Patriotic Devotion”:
President Trump has officially declared the day of his inauguration a national day of patriotism.
Trump’s inaugural address on Friday frequently referred to patriotism as the salve that would heal the country’s divisions. ”When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice,” Trump said from the steps of the Capitol after being sworn in as president.
Later that day, Trump’s press secretary, Sean Spicer, said that naming a national day of patriotism was among the executive actions that Trump took in his first few hours as president.
On Monday, the paperwork was filed with the federal government declaring officially that Jan. 20, 2017 — the day of Trump’s inauguration — would officially be known as the “National Day of Patriotic Devotion.”
“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 says.
Honestly I’m not sure what this even means but I doubt I’m alone in thinking this is just the start of Trump’s effort to remind us on a regular basis just how “yuge” his Presidency is regardless of what reality might show us.
Here’s the order, which is being published today in the Federal Register:
Trump Proclamation by Doug Mataconis on Scribd
Two thoughts:
(1) If true …. Did he clear this with Putin?
(2) if not … Is this a Saturday Night Live send up?
Disturbing, but not surprising.
I wonder what the yahoos on the right who were constantly criticizing Obama for being a narcissist because he said “I” in a speech think of this. Then again, no I don’t.
Our Dear Leader is channeling Kim Jung-un and three generations of Korean Dynasty…Patriotic Devotion is a mainstay of their propaganda efforts.
Meanwhile the Cheeto-Jebus continues his patriotic lies, unabated.
I have to say that Obama wasn’t much better when he declared his inauguration “National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation”.
Semi-Sentient Cheeto (TM)
I’m waiting for Nixon style palace guard uniforms.
http://www.weirduniverse.net/blog/comments/nixon_palace_guard
It means America better start kissing his ass or he’s gonna Tweet you so hard the Russian trolls will feel it. Worship your new King – get devoting!!!
Seriously though, this kind of self-aggrandizement is par for the course. The man plasters his name on absolutely anything he touches and is the definition of ME ME ME culture. A smarter move would be declaring *every* Inauguration a reoccurring “National Day Of Patriotic Devotion” since it would recognize our traditions of peaceful transfer of power and the official accepting by the people of the outcome of the Constitutional process (regardless of personal feelings or the GIGO that occurred). But nope! Him, all him. He feels he deserves “devotion”.
May we all be so lucky his ego gets large enough to finally gag him instead of us.
WTF? Is this supposed to be an annual celebration (cause that’s not how its drafted)? Was this something we were all supposed to do this year only, several days before he proclaimed we should do it? Who writes these things?
@C. Clavin:
Exactly.
@Scott:
Me, too.
Mediaite is reporting via Axios that Spicer is on the way out.Trump wants someone more alpha with dark suits.
Trump is also apparently continuing to make the claim that he won the popular vote, except for all that vote fraud.
Why did America vote for the racist old guy at the end of the bar who doesn’t know anything but won’t shut up?
@Joe: @KM:
Those were my thoughts as well. In the spirit of coming together, I hereby pledge that during all future January 20th, 2017’s, I will fully celebrate and devote myself to patriotism.
@Gustopher:
He’s not going to shut up about the popular vote till he gets everyone to agree with him, which means he’ll never shut up about it.
Former President Obama did the same thing for his Inauguration Day, having January 20, 2009 declared as “National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation.”
More info here
Trump has his own security team, in addition to Secret Service protection. I wouldn’t be surprised if he decides to channel Nixon and have his security team outfitted with nice uniforms. Gold colored.
@roger:
Well, sure, you need your own Gestapo, you can’t rely on the Abwehr, alone. And you need your sicherheitsdienst to keep an eye on both your Gestapo and your Abwehr.
@michael reynolds: Thanks… I needed that. Seriously.
@roger:
Word choice says a lot. Obama chose to use words that signify unity and outreach; even if it was ulterior or self-promoting the way Donald’s is. Trump’s message carries a distinct imperial tone since the word devotion has very specific connotations. One is devoted to God or the Cause, rarely to a person. Like Clavin said, you can smell the wannabe-juche wafting off the page. A patriot is devoted to their nation….. and Trump is the figurehead of that nation. Therefore, just send those devotions his way….
Since I *highly* doubt he came up with this, it’s indicative that somebody on his staff thinks they’re a
revivalistdiscount Hamilton or Jefferson. Grandiose and gross at the same time, quite a feat.@michael reynolds:
Didn’t the Politburo have the KBG, the MVD, and the Taman Guards?
@roger: So roger’s link heads to Snopes which talks a little more about Obama’s declaration. That article helpfully explains that only Congress can set a perennial holiday, so these President-proclaimed holidays are one-offs. I understand that no new President can sign one of these till s/he takes the oath of office on her/his own inauguration day. Putting aside for a moment a literary criticism of the two proclamations, the big question is whether Obama’s people were as incompetent as Trump’s in failing to get this highly time-sensitive document to the public for 3 days after its expiration. On that question, I would observe that the Snopes copy of Obama’s proclamation is a press release dated January 20 that says “for immediate release.” That would suggest that someone in Obama’s administration thought past the end of their nose.
@michael reynolds: True! One of my novels-in-progress deals with the tensions and (sometimes lethal) rivalry between the Abwehr and the Sicherheitdienst.
How very Mussolini.
It’s been said before:
Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer
Why is this so hard to understand?
Stop trying to make sense out of this it the traditional ways that we have thought before. This is no longer Liberal / Conservative thing.
It is a worksers revoution… a way for the workers to get more of a voice nationally… a sort of national socialist movement that will benefit all.
.
I’m sure that thsi will be clearer when Mr. Hilter, Mr Bimler and Mr Vibbentropp join the administration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VSTzGwkMiM
@SC_Birdflyte:
I wonder if you would agree that the Abwehr were at least real soldiers, while the SD were just monsters in uniforms.
@MarkedMan: @Gromitt Gunn:
I like somebody’s Cheeto Benito, Il Douche.
Somebody said Spicer was a Marxist, a Groucho Marxist. From Chico Marx’ line in Duck Soup, the original, “Well who you gonna believe? Me or your own eyes?” Applies to Trump in spades.
All Hail Marx and Lennon.
I saw this on Facebook and was sure it was either The Onion or some of that Fake News. Nope! All real!
When I first saw this I seriously thought it was an Onion article mocking Trump via the North Korean style of wording…..
@reid: I wonder what the yahoos on the right who were constantly criticizing Obama for being a narcissist because he said “I” in a speech think of this.
That Obama’s declaration refers to himself four more times than Trumps?