One of these coins is not like the othersby digby
The top three coins are the ones issued for Pence, Biden and Obama. It’s obvious who the bottom one is forI hate to be repetitive, but it’s impossible not to when you see things like this. This is not funny and it’s not normal, people.
President Donald Trump broke with decades-long tradition when he unveiled his “challenge coin” — ditching the presidential seal and slapping on his campaign slogan “Make America Great Again” in place of the national motto E pluribis unum (out of many, one).
The Presidential “challenge coin” is a tradition that goes back two decades, with each president’s coin differing slightly in design from the next. The coins are given, usually to members of the military, to celebrate accomplishments or recognize a particular act of service. The custom is discrete, with presidents typically passing the coins to the recipients via a handshake.
According to a White House aide who spoke with the Washington Post, Trump played an active role in designing the coin. And the design is a noticeable departure from years past — an eagle emblazoned with Trump’s signature replaces the Presidential seal on one side (in fact, Trump’s name appears three times on the coin), a bright American flag serves as the backdrop of the White House on the other side, 13 arrows representing the original colonies have been removed, and the usual muted copper and silver colors have been replaced with a bright gold. The coin is also much larger and thicker than those of years past.
Jennifer Burch, a former staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force (medically retired) and a Trump voter, said Trump was “disrespecting” tradition with the new coin design.
“When I was in the service, I would get a challenge coin for doing something above and beyond,” she told ThinkProgress, adding that she received one for helping to raise more than $20,000 in relief funds after the 2010 Haiti earthquake. “Every coin tells a story … I feel like, now, they’re being a little overused.”
“Some change can be good. But this is not. It’s not classy,” Burch added.
Yeah, it’s also something right out of the Kim Jong Un Dear Leader playbook. It perfectly symbolizes why the cloying obsequiousness of the GOP on the steps of the White House and the growing calls for a purge of federal law enforcement of anyone who isn’t a Trump loyalist is so alarming. They are joining his cult, one by one.
It’s one thing for supporters and opportunists to manufacture and sell wingnut kitch. There are always people willing to pay for team gear. But this is official government product and it’s supposed to be about the presidency not the person. To actually eliminate the national motto in favor of his plagiarized campaign slogan and plaster his name all over the thing is just too much.
It is beyond fitting that Trump deleted “e Pluribus Unum” — out of many, one—from the Presidential coin. Our national motto sums up our nation’s deepest aspirations. Trump has never shown even the slightest respect for the motto and what it stands for. https://t.co/tSz9rg3jQj— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) December 22, 2017
As always I’m immensely grateful for all of you who drop by to read this creaky old blog. It’s what keeps me going. Together we will get through this.
Happy Hollandaise everyone! Keep the faith.
cheers — digby
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