Trump Signs Executive Order For A Statue Of Hannah Arendt, A German-Born Political Theorist Known For Her Writings On Power, Evil, And Totalitarianism ("Violence Always Rises Out Of Impotence") In The "National Garden Of American Heroes"

Donald Trump has signed an executive order creating a "National Garden of American Heroes".

Each individual has been chosen for embodying the American spirit of daring and defiance, excellence and adventure, courage and confidence, loyalty and love.

Several people in that list, such as Christopher Columbus, the Marquis de La Fayette, and Lorenzo de Zavala, were not American, but have some connection to America, whether through myth, infamy, or some other reason. The one name everyone is commenting on is Hannah Arendt, whose extensive writings on totalitarian leaders and systems include this line:

Before mass leaders seize the power to fit reality to their lies, their propaganda is marked by its extreme contempt for facts as such, for in their opinion fact depends entirely on the power of man who can fabricate it.

Grover Cleveland is an interesting choice, since he is the only US president to serve two nonconsecutive terms (1885-89 and 1893-97). And on January 21, 2025, he will still be the only president to have that distinction.

There are 244 names on the list. If you asked Donald Trump "Who is [name on list]?", how many do you think he could identify and briefly describe? If I said 25, would you take the over or the under?