State legislators call for June 14 as Ohio holiday honoring Trump

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Two Ohio lawmakers are calling to declare June 14 as “President Donald J. Trump Day.”
• The Republican legislators sent out a memo on Friday to look for co-sponsors to their bill.
• June 14 is Trump’s birthday.

Two Ohio lawmakers are calling for June 14 to be declared as “President Donald J. Trump Day,” a state holiday honoring the former president. It is Trump’s birthday.

On Friday, Republican state Reps. Jon Cross and Reggie Stoltzfus looked for co-sponsors to their bill by sending out a memo. The bill seeks to honor the 45th US president who “against great odds, accomplished many things that have led our nation to unparalleled prosperity.”

“Let’s show the 3,154,834 Ohio voters (a record and historic number of votes received for President in Ohio) who cast their ballot to re-elect Donald J. Trump that we as a legislature recognize the accomplishments of his administration and that the Ohio House believes it is imperative we set aside a day to celebrate one of the greatest presidents in American history,” the two Republicans wrote in the memo.

Cross and Stoltzfus said that millions of Ohio residents “felt marginalized by our government and the American political system.” They also slammed the media, saying news outlets had stained Trump’s legacy. 

However, some Ohio Democrats are not in favor of the bill, telling The Columbus Dispatch that the date will overlap with Flag Day, a national holiday that commemorates the adoption of the American flag on June 14, 1777. 

“I don’t like the idea of changing an existing federal holiday that honors the flag,” state Rep. Jeff Crossman told the outlet. “I think it’s disrespectful,” the Democrat added.

The Dispatch noted that several home states of former presidents have implemented local holidays. Ronald Reagan’s birthday on Feb. 6 is celebrated in California while Barack Obama’s birthday on Aug. 4 is celebrated in Illinois.

In Washington, there has been an effort to prevent Trump from having the same post-presidency honors he said that the results of the 2020 election were rigged. Not to mention his words of encouragement to supporters who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6. 

Last week, Democrat Rep. Linda Sánchez of California introduced The No Glory for Hate Act — a bill that would prevent federal funds from being used for any symbol, monument, structure, building or public land commemorating Trump.

“Donald Trump poured gasoline on lies, encouraging racism and hatred, for four years. And he lit a match on January 6th. He doesn’t deserve the honors earned by former presidents,” Sánchez said in a statement. “No building, statue or park bench should bear the name of a traitor.”

Source: The Hill