Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended the right of a white supremacist group to march in Washington on July 4, citing free speech protections in what he called a “messy democracy.” Hundreds of masked members of the Patriot Front marched through the nation’s capital on Independence Day, and Burgum said they did nothing illegal.
Free Speech Protections
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, Burgum stated that while the organization’s white supremacist, anti-immigrant ideology is “nothing that I could possibly agree with,” it is protected under the First Amendment. “Makes democracy messy,” he added. He noted that protesters who criticize President Donald Trump on the National Mall enjoy the same rights. “Yet they’re allowed to go on because of free speech in our country,” Burgum said.
Patriot Front’s Ideology
The Patriot Front has openly criticized democracy. A manifesto on its website declares, “Democracy has failed this once great nation,” and calls for a “hard reset” to “return to the traditions and virtues of our forefathers,” whom they identify as European settlers. The group’s march included drummers near the US Capitol and Union Station transit center, after which members took Metro trains to a District of Columbia suburb.
Burgum’s Response
Burgum declined to say whether he condemns the Patriot Front or would recommend that Trump condemn it. He downplayed the march as an aberration among July 4 events commemorating the country’s 250th anniversary. The Interior Secretary also discussed the Trump administration’s renovation work in Washington, saying the administration “already has fixed dozens of monuments and fountains.”
Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
One of the highest-profile projects is the $14.7 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool. Despite the work, the pool has shown algae growth, peeling surface material, and visible deterioration just weeks after completion. Burgum repeated Trump’s unsubstantiated claims that vandals used box cutters to make gashes hundreds of feet long in the new liner. The company that renovated the pool under a no-bid contract will handle repairs, Burgum said, “because they did a fantastic job with the remake.”
