Statue of George Washington unveiled at the Florida Capitol on Feb. 20, 2025. (Photo by Jackie Llanos/Florida Phoenix)
Gov. Ron DeSantis emphasized George Washington’s virtue in choosing the success of the country over his desire for power during Thursday’s unveiling of a statue to honor the founding father at the Capitol in Tallahassee.
The governor said Mount Vernon loaned the bronze statue for a year ahead of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. It is a replica of Jean-Antoine Houdon’s marble statue of Washington in Virginia’s Capitol.
“When commanding generals succeeded in a revolution of that nature, they immediately went to install themselves in power, and Washington could have done that,” DeSantis said. “He could have been the king of the United States of America if he wanted to do it, but instead he showed up, he surrendered his commission, surrendered his sword, and went back to retire to Mount Vernon.”
DeSantis said there would be events honoring additional founders in the counties named after them. Other than Washington County in the Panhandle, Florida has named counties after Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, the marquis de La Fayette, James Madison, and other figures from the early republic.
The governor praised Washington, saying the country’s bid for independence wouldn’t have happened without him.
“He probably wouldn’t be viable in today’s climate, which very much values entertainment over accomplishment, and yet we’ve never seen anybody like him,” DeSantis said.
President Donald Trump likened himself to royalty on social media on Wednesday after his administration moved to end a traffic congestion pricing program in New York City.
“CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “LONG LIVE THE KING!”
The official X and Instagram White House accounts also shared that message, along with an illustration of the president wearing a crown.
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