Former President Donald Trump’s defense of Thomas Jefferson included a critical error about the founding father.
Trump released a statement on Tuesday after New York City officials voted to remove a statue of Thomas Jefferson from the New York City Council chamber.
“Well, it’s finally happened. The late, great Thomas Jefferson, one of our most important Founding Fathers, and a principal writer of the Constitution of the United States, is being ‘evicted’ from the magnificent New York City Council Chamber,” Trump said.
He added, “Who would have thought this would ever be possible (I did, and called it long ago!). Next up, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, and, of course, George Washington. The Radical Left has gone crazy, and it’s hurting our Country badly – But someday soon, sane people will be back, and our Country will be respected again!”
NEW!
— Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) October 19, 2021
President Donald J. Trump:
"Well, it’s finally happened. The late, great Thomas Jefferson, one of our most important Founding Fathers, and a principal writer of the Constitution of the United States, is being “evicted” from the magnificent New York City Council Chamber… pic.twitter.com/XXdrGyrpMn
The issue with Trump’s statement is Jefferson was not a principal writer of the Constitution, he wrote the Declaration of Independence.
“As the ‘silent member’ of the Congress, Jefferson, at 33, drafted the Declaration of Independence. In years following he labored to make its words a reality in Virginia,” the White House website reads.
James Madison is known as the primary author of the Constitution. Jefferson was not present for the Constitutional Convention but still made contributions in other ways.
Councilperson Adrienne Adams, co-chair of the council’s Black, Latino and Asian Caucus, spoke out against Jefferson’s legacy in remarks she made to the New York City Public Design Commission.
“Jefferson embodied some of the most shameful parts of our country’s long and nuanced history,” Adams said. “It is time for the city to turn the page and move forward.”
Last month, Trump spoke out against the removal of the statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia, as IJR reported.
“It has long been recognized as a beautiful piece of bronze sculpture. To add insult to injury, those who support this ‘taking’ now plan to cut it into three pieces, and throw this work of art into storage prior to its complete desecration,” Trump said in a statement.
He continued, “Robert E. Lee is considered by many Generals to be the greatest strategist of them all.”
