The White House just released details about building the National Garden of American Heroes — or as I prefer to think of it, the Social Studies Hall of Fame.
Some notes on what Trump won in his war against symbols:
Last summer, Trump gave a July 3 address at Mount Rushmore. His speech dwelt on vandalism and symbolism. He compared the effort to suppress BLM protests to America's participation in WWII.
That was the roll-out for the National Garden of American Heroes:
Trump signed another executive order on June 26 on monuments and memorials. This order spelled out severe consequences for people accused of destroying federal *and even state* memorials, including sentences of up to 10 years.
Trump's order on monuments was hugely consequential. Lawfare obtained a DHS document authorizing "expanded intelligence activities necessary to mitigate the significant threat to homeland security" — domestic surveillance of BLM — rooted in this order.
Then-AG Bill Barr also found in the White House executive order on monuments the authority for "Operation Legend," the deployment of federal law enforcement to Portland and other cities.