Here we go again. Donald Trump wants a reeely big shoo, so 7,500 tickets to a fireworks display at Mt. Rushmore have been given out — and of course, it’s been reported that 125,000 people wanted to come. Not saying that they didn’t, merely noting that it wouldn’t be a Trump event without the obligatory report that so many more people were dying to breath the same air as the Great Orange One, coronavirus saturated or not. Neither federal nor state officials are imposing social distancing requirements, so we’ll see how this goes. Washington Post:
“It’s a bad idea based on the wildland fire risk, the impact to the water quality of the memorial, the fact that is going to occur during a pandemic without social distancing guidelines and the emergency evacuation issues,” Schreier said, adding that all other tourists will be barred from the park on July 3. “And you’re closing off the memorial to visitors who might not normally have a chance to visit Mount Rushmore.” […]
On Tuesday, Anthony S. Fauci,…testified before a House committee that Americans should not participate in large-scale gatherings if they can avoid doing so, because such activities could widen the spread of the novel coronavirus. […]
Trump’s reelection campaign is also leveraging the South Dakota trip to fill its coffers, according to fundraising invitations obtained by The Washington Post. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway will appear as “special guests” at two high-dollar fundraisers in the days before the event in Rapid City, S.D., and Gallatin Gateway, Mont., along with Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend, campaign senior adviser Kimberly Guilfoyle.
Now here’s a classic Trump quote. Another one for the ages.
Trump said in January that when it came to barring fireworks at Mount Rushmore, “nobody knew why, they just said environmental reasons.” And he dismissed the idea that the event would pose any risks to the massive statue depicting the images of four U.S. presidents. “What can burn? It’s stone,” he said.
It’s stone surrounded by 1,200 acres of forest, you unforgivable weapons grade twit. And a wildfire already started Wednesday. The Post reports it burned “about 60 acres and requiring about 117 firefighters — including some from Colorado and Wyoming — and eight aircraft before it was extinguished Thursday.” Plus there are other environmental dangers.
Fireworks shows had been held at the memorial between 1998 and 2009, until U.S. Geological Survey scientists determined the activities left high levels of a toxic chemical called perchlorate in drinking water used by the 3 million people who visit the memorial annually.
Agency analyses, including a December 2017 presentation obtained by The Post, suggest that resuming fireworks could pollute local drinking water supplies, pose possible safety risks and potentially damage the monument itself. […]
Schreier said she was particularly concerned whether visitors would be able to leave quickly enough in an emergency, especially because so many people without entrance passes might end up parking on the side of the road to watch the display. “These are winding roadways, and if people are not familiar with Black Hills of South Dakota, it can be very challenging,” she said.
While the 2017 Park Service briefing said the agency “could find no direct evidence or link between ignition of fireworks and cracking of the sculpture,” Schreier said her staff identified scorch marks on the memorial as well as some plastic remains from the fireworks’ casings.
“I actually saw a piece of plastic from fireworks embedded in the granite,” she said. “That is something that will forever be ingrained in my mind.”
This is stupid, dangerous and irresponsible — in other words, vintage Trump. As with everything in Trump world, let’s hope for the best, plan for the worse, and not be surprised by anything in between.
He’s an idiot.
Yup. With far too much dangerous power and ego; and too many enablers and toadies.
I hope it backfires like the Tulsa rally and Bible-waving church photo op did. It seem like these staged events aren’t working out too well for him these days. Oh well.
A couple of hours ago the Lakota Indians started demonstrating on the road leading up to the monument. Good.
UNFORGIVABLE !
Another day, another outrage.
He needs a display as big as his ego and it is all at our nation’s expense.
He spent all day playing golf, and now he’s doing this thing at night, to endanger the environment. Won’t it be grand to have an adult in the White House?
Malignant narcissism strikes again. Malignancy brings death.
What’s the worst thing that can happen?
Racist monument gets destroyed, a bunch of MAGAts get trampled.
Doofus gets COVID.
Not seeing a downside here.
How’s this for a downside: more opportunities to spread the already uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 to folks who may otherwise have dodged that bullet.
Exactly. The Sioux Nation has controlled the virus, so much more so than the South Dakotans under their feckless governor, and these carvings are on sacred land…………..
You have no idea how much I’ve prayed that el presidente would get the virus and die, and take Pence with him.
The movie “North by Northwest” comes to mind. Imagine Kellyanne hanging on to the rock-face (rock faces!) for dear life.
I get a tiny smile out of that…….
honestly Elizabeth I’d be happier if it were Trump. 🙂
Maybe he’ll get blown away-literally-by the fireworks and become embedded in the granite next to the others. At least we’d be rid of him….
I know it is dark humor, but my goodness you gave me the best laugh I’ve had today. Thanx for that!! Don’t know what this says about me but I can actually envision this 🙂
I’m sorry, but that would mean the monument would have to be leveled, completely destroyed. It’s one thing to see his ugly face on TV, but it’s another one to have his face on a monument. What a disgusting idea!
I understand the sentiment, but we can’t advocate violence here. It will ruin the credibility of the site. We must tone it down, gang.
I hope it rains. Hard.
Yes, like a downpour unseen in history!
All this, never mind what an affront it is to the Sioux Nation, on whose hills these heads were carved. This land was part of the Sioux Nation, granted by treaty, but all bets were off once gold was discovered in the 1870s. A court case in I think 1981 called what happened to the Sioux Nation’s land a barbarity. And now, today, the execrable monster and his lady are going to this sacred land to desecrate it with their presence, their fireworks, and let’s face it, all the advance staff and current staff with them who may have Covid-19. These folks have been struggling to contain the virus and have far better succeeded than have the residents of South Dakota proper. But after this debacle today they may have been set back in this fight to stay well and virus free.
Know what else pisses me off? This trip, and all the ones Pence is taking too, all of them? These trips are far less about anything official than they are about campaigning. On our dime. Our tax dollars.
Forgot this below: love, love, love this title!!! Article “ain’t” so bad either!! 🙂
I think this would be the perfect time for “Team America – World Police” to come out of their headquarters inside Rushmore and go on one of their “Oops – we fucked up and blew away the wrong stuff” incidents.
It should have been banned by the National Park Service.
If Himself wants to be on Rushmore so much, helicopter him to the top – and leave him there. If he’s as smart and knowledgeable as he keeps telling us, he should be able to find his way down.
That’s the problem – he MIGHT find his way down!
What is maddening to me is that people will not wear masks and then they will cause the further spread of the virus. I have been so careful from the start and I was thinking that what if one of these “maskless” people gets the virus and someone passes the virus to me even though I have been really careful, wear a mask and have mostly been self-quarantined; if we both had to go the hospital and need a ventilator but there is only one ventilator left, who should get the ventilator? I bet anything the “maskless” person would be demanding that ventilator and if I died without it, so what! That makes my blood boil. Why can’t people wear the dam masks? It is selfish and uncaring.
His speech is designed to make things worse:
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Trump-s-Rushmore-trip-draws-real-and-figurative-15383975.php
Oh, do quit acting as though there is a plan here, evil or otherwise.
Trump’s stupidity never ceases to amaze me. It’s ALWAYS about him.