In recent days, former reality show star and current White House occupant Donald Trump has made much of his admiration for Andrew Jackson. Alluding to his belief that Jackson was an excellent president, outrageous claims have been made that the seventh president of the States was not only a “genius”, but also a “military hero.” When phrases like these are being tossed around, sometimes it is difficult to discern the truth from so many falsehoods being spouted by the Trump administration and organizations.
Of course, as with anything that involves Donald Trump, one must assume that his praise of Jackson means that he believes they are similar in some way. And according to news reports, this newfound admiration isn’t coming out of left field. In fact, within the past few moths, it seems as though Trump has been groomed to admire Jackson. But by whom? Many sources have indicated that it is advisor Steve Bannon who has been influencing Trump’s interest in Jackson. To no one’s surprise, Bannon compared Trump to Jackson, which made him feel flattered.
It was only a matter of time before the Andrew Jackson fan club seemed to be in full swing. Not only has Trump laid a wreath at Jackson’s tomb, but he has also spent time at Jackson’s plantation. The problem with all of this is that Jackson went out of his way to destroy Native Americans, starting with the Creek tribe. He also passed the Indian Removal Act, which paved the way for even more disturbing treatment of Native Americans.
He gave racist speeches and supported policies that impacted Natives by making them assimilate into the culture and abandon their long-held religions and traditions. Out of all the former presidents that Trump could choose admire, it certainly seems telling that he’s selected Jackson to be his poster boy.