{"id":4933,"date":"2026-07-02T07:55:42","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T07:55:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/07\/02\/trump-sees-bond-with-great-he-man-theodore-roosevelt-at-lavish-library-opening\/"},"modified":"2026-07-02T07:55:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T07:55:42","slug":"trump-sees-bond-with-great-he-man-theodore-roosevelt-at-lavish-library-opening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=4933","title":{"rendered":"Trump sees bond with \u2018great he-man\u2019 Theodore Roosevelt at lavish library opening"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-t7og0p\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"19b985fa-3b6e-4f02-a643-dd60898edd25\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Man on train\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/13837d90dc60945411fa0fabb206b31c692ee782\/0_0_8062_5375\/master\/8062.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"310.0192259985115\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Trump greets onlookers after arriving on the \u2018Freedom250 train\u2019 on his way to attend the grand opening of the Theodore Roosevelt library in Medora, North Dakota.<\/span> Photograph: Saul Loeb\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"19b985fa-3b6e-4f02-a643-dd60898edd25\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Trump greets onlookers after arriving on the \u2018Freedom250 train\u2019 on his way to attend the grand opening of the Theodore Roosevelt library in Medora, North Dakota.<\/span> Photograph: Saul Loeb\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">Trump sees bond with \u2018great he-man\u2019 Theodore Roosevelt at lavish library opening<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-vyfjyx\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1gm5ptv\">\n<p>Bizarre 250th spectacle in North Dakota sees Trump take ride on red, white and blue train \u2013 and speak with hologram of 26th president<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The sound of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CS9OO0S5w2k\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">YMCA by the Village People<\/a> booming through the badlands of North Dakota could only mean one thing: Donald Trump\u2019s 250th anniversary travelling circus had reached a remote corner of America more familiar with bison, wild horses and bighorn sheep.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The US president visited Medora on Wednesday to dedicate a $450m library and museum honouring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trlibrary.com\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Theodore Roosevelt<\/a>, the 26th president, in the region where he roamed as a cowboy and big-game hunter in the 1880s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In what critics saw as his latest effort to cloak himself in the mantle of great men of history, Trump delivered a speech that drew comparisons with Roosevelt, whose face is carved into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/oct\/26\/mount-rushmore-native-american-history\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Mount Rushmore<\/a> in neighbouring South Dakota, but notably said little about his predecessor\u2019s environmental legacy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Even by the haphazard standards of the America250 events so far, Wednesday\u2019s extravaganza was bizarre. Trump\u2019s trip <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/01\/trump-qatar-air-force-one-first-flight\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">marked the debut<\/a> of a refurbished Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar \u200bthat will serve as Air Force One, featuring a red, white, dark \u200cblue and gold paint scheme selected by the president.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Against a dramatic landscape of eroded hills, deep ravines and layered rock, Trump then emulated <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Whistle-stop_train_tour\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Roosevelt\u2019s whistle-stop tours<\/a> by taking a short journey on a train painted red, white and blue with bunting and the words \u201cFreedom\u201d, \u201cLiberty\u201d and \u201c1776-2026\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The train halted at a railroad crossing with horn blasting and bell ringing as a crowd, who had waited in the sun for three hours in the company of a Roosevelt impersonator, chanted \u201cGo, Trump!\u201d and \u201cUSA! USA!\u201d Trump, who has previously shown little interest in railways, disembarked at the same spot as the 24-year-old Roosevelt more than 140 years before.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">His motorcade to the library was accompanied by horseback riders dressed like Roosevelt\u2019s \u201cRough \u2060Riders\u201d, the nickname given to the military unit that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/thrb\/learn\/historyculture\/tr-rr-spanamwar.htm\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Roosevelt led up Cuba\u2019s San Juan Hill<\/a> in 1898 during the Spanish-American war. A big trail of horse manure was left behind on the road.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Trump toured the new 96,000 sq ft library, which overlooks a national park named for Roosevelt because of the formative years he spent in the Badlands. He visited a room named after the interior secretary, Doug Burgum \u2013 a former North Dakota governor \u2013 and his wife Kathryn, and <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/FoxNews\/status\/2072390513475362933?s=20\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">conversed with a digitally animated version<\/a> of Roosevelt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Trump recalled later: \u201cI had a conversation with Theodore Roosevelt: \u2018What did you think about the Panama canal? Is that your greatest achievement? How do you feel about the fact that the Democrats gave the Panama canal away for one dollar to Panama?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The president then appeared at the nearby <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ndtourism.com\/medora\/attractions-entertainment\/family-fun\/burning-hills-amphitheatre?__cf_chl_f_tk=JNjGyDMfxTRIAt5syfojCduLetPsjUxoczgfmTFq7u4-1782948448-1.0.1.1-H2ojrQyX8b829FmleVR9mPX3AtG0ld3W2pmsX1anfgQ\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Burning Hills Amphitheatre<\/a> against the backdrop of a western stage set normally used for a local musical, complete with ersatz railway station, telegraph office, stable, blacksmith, dance hall, apothecary and Rough Riders Hotel. There were 25 Rough Riders standing rigidly behind him. A giant white \u201cMedora\u201d sign loomed from the hill above.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Trump delivered a meandering, hour-long address despite a faulty teleprompter, never taking a sip of water even as the audience perspired in withering heat. \u201cI\u2019m honoring Theodore Roosevelt &#8211; that is, the man I have long admired,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t admire too many people, I have to tell you \u2013 not a lot of people out there.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"07c82b95-3666-4fa4-81bf-ff8915ba3bc1\" data-spacefinder-role=\"showcase\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-46nkfa\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Man against backdrop\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/9025c9035dd9f13b3ed919653d22040a694dc21d\/0_0_6000_4000\/master\/6000.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.66666666666663\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"07c82b95-3666-4fa4-81bf-ff8915ba3bc1\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1ci1e33\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Trump at the Burning Hills Ampitheatre.<\/span> Photograph: Evan Vucci\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Trump announced that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.neh.gov\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">National Endowment for the Humanities<\/a> will award the library $750,000 to support its first year. He praised the artistry, scholarship and technical skill on display in the museum before previewing his own presidential library: \u201cWe\u2019re going to build a museum in Miami \u2013 they gave me a lot of ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Now in his second term, Trump seems increasingly concerned with his legacy and place in history. He has previously spoken admiringly of Andrew Jackson, Richard Nixon and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2023\/sep\/27\/ronald-reagan-library-republican-presidential-debate\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Ronald Reagan<\/a>; a big portrait of Reagan hangs prominently in the Oval Office. On Wednesday he cited Abraham Lincoln and Dwight Eisenhower, the last president to use the train that Trump rode in on.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">But his principal focus was Roosevelt, whose presidency fell at the halfway mark between the declaration of independence and the present day. Like Trump, Roosevelt was a privileged New Yorker who would be accused of imperialism and warmongering and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trlibrary.com\/bullet-speech\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">survive an assassination attempt<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The differences, however, are profound: Roosevelt, who was 42, remains the youngest person to become president; Trump, now 80, was the oldest ever elected. Roosevelt won the Nobel peace prize; Trump has not. Roosevelt, who preached \u201cthe strenuous life\u201d, might have taken a dim view of Trump\u2019s diet of McDonald\u2019s and Diet Cokes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">And Roosevelt, who ran for a third term in the White House but fell short, once said: \u201cPatriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Trump told his audience on Wednesday that much of the conversation on Air Force One had revolved around Roosevelt and his larger-than-life adventures. \u201cHe had a freakin\u2019 wild life,\u201d he said. \u201cHe didn\u2019t want to be quiet. He wanted to be great.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">He praised Roosevelt as \u201ca great he-man\u201d and \u201ca proud man\u201d, insisting: \u201cI\u2019m a proud man, I\u2019m proud of our country. I\u2019m proud that two years ago we had a country that was a laughing stock all over the world, and now we have the hottest, most respected country anywhere in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"3cad0122-d160-4c94-a774-95a2f37794ff\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-3\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Men stand on stage\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/5067d16ed978b3deb2988b15512cbc5ca247fc43\/0_0_5500_3667\/master\/5500.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.69363636363636\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-3\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"3cad0122-d160-4c94-a774-95a2f37794ff\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">\u2018Rough Riders\u2019 reenactors stand during Trump\u2019s speech.<\/span> Photograph: Evan Vucci\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Watched by his sons Don Jr and Eric, the president also paid tribute to Roosevelt\u2019s son, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Theodore_Roosevelt_Jr.\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Theodore Roosevelt Jr<\/a>, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the second world war. \u201cHis son was brave. It\u2019s genetics, you know. It\u2019s like the racehorse theory. Fast horses.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The nearby museum records that Roosevelt, who served \u2060as president from 1901 to 1909, busted 44 trusts and protected 230m acres of land. Trump and Burgum, who have sought to roll back protections for wildlife and public lands, gave short shrift to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/thro\/learn\/historyculture\/theodore-roosevelt-and-conservation.htm\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Roosevelt\u2019s conservation legacy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Trump said: \u201cHe did some incredible things \u2013 a lot of people will say the parks; people point to different elements of his success. Incredible. But he built the Panama canal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">It was officially a nonpartisan event but there were familiar faces from Trump rallies such as MyPillow founder Mike Lindell and a familiar soundtrack including Lee Greenwood\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/God_Bless_the_U.S.A.\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">God Bless the USA<\/a>, Andrew Lloyd Webber\u2019s The Phantom of the Opera and, of course, the Village People\u2019s YMCA.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Kathleen Katz, 60, an inventory control specialist at an aircraft manufacturing company, was wearing a \u201cTrump: Make America great again 2024\u201d cap. She said: \u201cHe\u2019s the best president we\u2019ve had yet. His second term is going very well.We\u2019ve hit a couple of bumps in the road but nothing that we can\u2019t overcome.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Asked to compare him with Roosevelt, she said: \u201cI would say they\u2019re both very similar: the love for our country and for Americans in general.\u201d She insisted that Trump \u201clooks out for all the national parks\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Chris Pawlik, 35, an army veteran who works for a solar energy startup in Austin, Texas, was wearing a t-shirt with an image of Mount Rushmore doctored to include Trump\u2019s face above the words: \u201cMaking history again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">He said: \u201cTrump is similar to Teddy Roosevelt.It\u2019s like the big stick policy is how he sees himself as well.Teddy was a big conservationist. I am too. I also see the balance with energy and conservation at the same time. There\u2019s some things like with the Keystone pipeline there\u2019s a lot of different things where we can\u2019t go and change everything in the next decade. You\u2019ve got to have more long term sustainable plan to get there.<em>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In 2019, when he was state governor, Burgum championed the Roosevelt library to North Dakota\u2019s Republican-led legislature, which approved a $50m operations endowment. Private donors have included <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Harold_Hamm\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">oil executive Harold Hamm<\/a>, the Waltons of Walmart fame, Kenneth Griffin, founder and chief executive of the hedge fund Citadel, and Burgum himself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/ng-interactive\/2026\/jun\/29\/america-250th-anniversary-trump\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">cavalcade of patriotic events<\/a> continues on Friday with an event at Mount Rushmore and then on Saturday with a \u201cSalute to America\u201d celebration on the National Mall in Washington with a 35-minute fireworks display over the Potomac River. Democrats are not impressed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><a href=\"https:\/\/boyle.house.gov\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Brendan Boyle<\/a>, a congressman whose district includes Independence Hall in Philadelphia, said on Wednesday: \u201cDonald Trump doesn\u2019t have one 10th of 1% of Teddy Roosevelt\u2019s charisma or courage. On environmental issues they were absolutely night and day. All Trump cares about is grifting and naming things for himself. Trump is such a small figure compared to a great and extraordinary figure like Teddy Roosevelt.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Donald Trump<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/north-dakota\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">North Dakota<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Trump%20sees%20bond%20with%20%E2%80%98great%20he-man%E2%80%99%20Theodore%20Roosevelt%20at%20lavish%20library%20opening&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/01\/trump-theodore-roosevelt-north-dakota?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fjul%2F01%2Ftrump-theodore-roosevelt-north-dakota&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/jul\/01\/trump-theodore-roosevelt-north-dakota\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-zfobkz\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump greets onlookers after arriving on the \u2018Freedom250 train\u2019 on his way to attend the grand opening of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":4935,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4933","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4933"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4933\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4935"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}