Trump: Efforts to remove Woodrow Wilson, John Wayne names show ‘incredible stupidity’

President Trump blasted Democrats on Monday over a move to strip John Wayne’s name from a California airport while taking aim at Princeton University for a similar decision involving a school honoring former President Woodrow Wilson.

The president slammed “Do Nothing Democrats” over the Orange County, Calif., Democratic Party’s efforts to condemn Wayne for making “racist and bigoted statements” during a magazine interview and their vote to remove his name from an airport in Santa Ana.

Trump in the same tweet also mentioned Princeton’s recent decision to remove Wilson’s name from its School of Public and International Affairs, which trustees voted to do on Friday.

“Can anyone believe that Princeton just dropped the name of Woodrow Wilson from their highly respected policy center. Now the Do Nothing Democrats want to take off the name John Wayne from an airport. Incredible stupidity!” the president wrote.

The president earlier this month released a similar statement condemning New York City’s planned removal of a statue of former President Theodore Roosevelt from the steps of the Museum of Natural History. The statue depicts the former president on horseback leading two figures, a Native American man and an African man, by his side.

Activists in cities around the country have called for or participated in the unsanctioned removal of some statues representing members of the Confederacy or other historical figures associated with racism in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis late last month.

Video of Floyd’s death sparked protests in every U.S. state after it was revealed that a white officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes while Floyd pleaded for medical attention.

Trump has voiced support for Floyd’s family since the protests began but called on state leaders to take tougher measures to quell demonstrations around the country, including calling for the National Guard to be used to contain protesters.

Tags Donald Trump George Floyd protests John Wayne Theodore Roosevelt Woodrow Wilson

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