Last Updated on December 5, 2020
President Trump lashed out against the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) over Twitter Saturday, highlighting language in the bill allowing for the “renaming and even desecration of national monuments.”
“This is not what our country wants,” tweeted the President, who has previously threatened to veto the $740.5 billion spending bill if provisions requiring what has been dubbed “historical vandalism” remain intact.
According to polling data, 56% of Americans stand opposed to the idea.
A provision is in the NDAA for the renaming, or even desecration, of National Monuments in National Parks. This is not what our Country wants!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 4, 2020
Under the 4,517-page bill, the Department of Defense would be required to create a commission meant to “remove all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederate States of America.” The commission would have 3 years to complete the renaming and removal process.
President Trump has been outspoken against the removal of America’s monuments, an effort spearheaded by the radical left and adopted by leading Democrats, as well as a number of establishment Republicans. Over the summer, as riotous Black Lives Matter mobs toppled statues of Confederate and Union heroes, America’s founding fathers, and even Jesus Christ, the Republican-controlled Senate voted in favor of NDAA provisions requiring the renaming of 10 military installations bearing the names of Confederate military leaders.
The move prompted President Trump to threaten a veto of the bill’s finalized version – were it still to include the renaming provision – with the White House listing the renaming of military bases among a group of “serious concerns” about the bill in an official statement on the matter.
“Nevertheless, H.R. 6395 includes several provisions that present serious concerns. Among other
major provisions, the Administration strongly objects to section 2829, which would require
renaming of certain military institutions
Additionally, the bill blocks a reduction of U.S. troops stationed in Germany, a staple of President Trump’s America’s First agenda, and a response to the country’s refusal to contribute their fair share to NATO.
President Trump has pushed hard for Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to be removed in the 2021 NDAA. CDA 230 offers liability protections to big tech companies including Facebook and Twitter that prevent them from being liable for the written statements of their users.
