#Trump blasts ‘left-wing cultural revolution’ in fiery Mount Rushmore speech

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President Trump arrives for the Independence Day events at Mount Rushmore National Memorial today.

In a fiery speech at Mount Rushmore Friday night, President Trump slammed what he called the “left-wing cultural revolution” that has led to “violent mayhem” in the streets and the toppling of historic statues.

“They want to silence us. But we will not be silenced,” Trump said to cheers of “USA! USA!”

“We will not be intimidated by bad, evil people. It will not happen!” he said to more cheers from the thousands of supporters in the monument’s amphitheater before a Fourth of July fireworks show.

“We will never surrender the spirit and the courage and the cause of July 4, 1776,” he said.

Sticking in large part to prepared notes, the president delivered a powerful, base-boosting speech that pushed back against weeks of protests, declared economic optimism in the face of the coronavirus and repeated many of the promises that helped elect him.

“We will state the truth in full without apology,” he said before launching into a familiar litany of rally-popular priorities, including keeping America first, building a border wall, supporting law enforcement and protecting the right to life, guns and freedom of religion.

“We stand tall, we stand proud and we only kneel to almighty God,” he thundered. “This is who we are. This is what we believe.”

The president also vowed that Mount Rushmore “will never be desecrated.”

“These heroes will never be defaced … Their legacy will never ever be destroyed,” Trump said of the Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

He said he would sign an executive order to establish “the national garden of American heroes,” a park that would feature statues of great Americans.

Trump repeatedly decried the recent civil unrest and the “angry mobs” who have targeted historic statues amid racial injustice protests spurred by the death of George Floyd.

“Make no mistake, this left-wing cultural revolution is designed to overthrow the American revolution,” Trump said.

“They think the American people are weak and soft and submissive,” the president said.

“But no, the American people are strong and proud and they will not allow our country and all its values … to be taken from them.”

Hours before Trump’s arrival, Native American protesters briefly blocked a road to the South Dakotan site before being pushed back by a contingent of National Guard soldiers in riot gear, the Rapid City Journal reported.

The demonstrators chanted “Land back!,” referring to the Black Hills, tribal lands where the monument stands that were taken from Native Americans by the US government.

The roadblock, consisting of three vans, two of which had their tires removed, reportedly left some ticket holders to the event on the outside looking in for a time, the report said.

Trump arrived at Mount Rushmore via Marine One around 9:30 p.m. and took the amphitheater stage shortly after 10 p.m.

An exact headcount to the monument’s first firework show in over a decade was not clear, but the event was expected to attract up to 7,500 people.

Most audience members in the packed amphitheater stands Friday night went mask-less; many upper level seats were empty.

South Dakota’s GOP Gov. Kristi Noem had said both social distancing and masks will be optional as daily cases in the US have skyrocketed.

Leaders of local Native American tribes, a population particularly hard hit by the virus, have expressed dismay about the coronavirus risk.

“The president is putting our tribal members at risk to stage a photo op at one of our most sacred sites,” Harold Frazier, chairman of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, had told The Associated Press.

Others have also raised concerns about the fireworks themselves, complaining they are a fire risk to the surrounding national forest.

With Post wires