Ron DeSantis rips ‘total failures’ honored on Presidents’ Day

Florida’s Governor is back online with strong takes on American history, including suggesting that some Presidents don’t merit being honored at all.

“I hope everybody had a good Presidents’ Day weekend. But you know the idea that we honor all Presidents, what?” Ron DeSantis said. “James Buchanan and Woodrow Wilson, these guys were total failures.”

DeSantis went on to extol George Washington as “the one guy who was indispensable” before fragging the same two former Chief Executives he mentioned at the start of his two-minute clip.

“So Feb. 22, honor George Washington. We don’t need to be honoring people like Woodrow Wilson and James Buchanan. Washington was first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen.”

Interestingly, DeSantis has discussed his “favorite President” before … and it wasn’t Washington.

“People don’t talk about him a lot,” DeSantis said of Calvin Coolidge.

But his choice of Coolidge served up an opportunity for DeSantis to dive into what a dim view the 30th President would have of the current state of affairs.

“We need to restore the U.S. Constitution as the centerpiece of our national life,” DeSantis said. “And that requires a President who understands the original understanding of the Constitution … who knows how we’ve gone off track with this massive fourth branch of government, this administrative state which is imposing its will on us and is being weaponized against us.”

One interesting bill signed by “Silent Cal”: the Immigration Act of 1924. The measure established immigration quotas and banned people from Asia.

“Silent Cal knew the proper role of the federal government,” DeSantis said as he asserted that the country was in “great shape” when he was President.

DeSantis even suggested that Coolidge was not to blame for setting up economic calamity that followed after he left office.

“And then of course, they eventually had under (Herbert) Hoover, the Great Depression,” DeSantis said. “Had Coolidge been in there, they probably would have gotten through that much better because he was just really, really good.”

The Governor didn’t make it clear why he rates Wilson and Buchanan below other questionable leaders, such as Andrew Johnson.

Buchanan was unable to head off the Civil War during his one term that ended in 1861, while Wilson led America through World War I and was instrumental in the formation of the League of Nations.

For what it’s worth, the American Political Science Association agrees with DeSantis on Buchanan, claiming the only President worse was Donald Trump. They rank Wilson 15th, however.

February 22, 1732 … First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen! pic.twitter.com/iKpDYMjK8t

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) February 22, 2024

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Anne Geggis contributed to this report.