Full Breakdown
Trump Restores Caesar Rodney Statue in Washington, D.C. for Independence Bicentennial
7/5/2026, 12:52:50 AM
Reinstallation Marks 250th-Anniversary Celebration
Former President Donald Trump announced an equestrian statue of Delaware delegate Caesar Rodney has been placed in Freedom Plaza, a block from the White House, as part of an exhibition marking the United States’ 250th anniversary.
Historical Background and Controversy
The bronze statue, installed in Wilmington in 1923, commemorated Rodney’s 1776 ride that broke a deadlock. In June 2020, amid protests after George Floyd’s killing, officials removed it, calling for an “overdue discussion” on monuments.
Principal Actors
Caesar Rodney (1728-1784) was a Delaware delegate who owned up to 200 enslaved people. Donald Trump promoted its return. Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki announced its 2020 removal. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum spoke at the April 2024 reopening.
Cost and Numbers
Rodney’s ride covered 80 miles overnight on July 2, 1776. The Plaza project cost at least $527,226, though some describe it as “half a million dollars.” Rodney inherited an 849-acre farm and owned up to 200 enslaved individuals.
Official Statements
The Trump administration called the reinstallation a corrective response to “extreme anti-American historical revisionism.” Interior Secretary Burgum said the statue joins a display that includes twelve Revolutionary-War soldier statues, a 23-foot “Spirit of Liberty,” and the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument. Purzycki said the 2020 removal was needed for an “overdue discussion.”
Opposition Viewpoints
Civil-rights groups say honoring a slave owner whitewashes history and downplays slavery legacy. Critics note that other Founding Fathers—Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin—also owned slaves, and argue the exhibition obscures these facts.
Discrepancies
Sources differ on cost, with some citing $527,226 and others describing it as “half a million dollars.” While Rodney owned enslaved people, records show he introduced legislation to prohibit slave importation into Delaware, a nuance not reflected in all accounts.
Verbatim Quotes
- “If Caesar Rodney cannot be defended, then there is no principle by which the other signers of the Declaration can be shielded from similar eradication,” — Donald Trump, Truth Social post
- “Enduring a raging thunderstorm, he arrived 250 years ago this very day, July 2, 1776, to cast his decisive vote, and secure America’s glorious destiny of Freedom and Independence.” — Donald Trump, Truth Social post
- “Enduring a raging thunderstorm, he arrived 250 years ago this very day, July 2, 1776, to cast his decisive vote and secure America’s glorious destiny of Freedom and Independence. An equestrian statue honoring Rodney’s key contribution now anchors Spirit of ’76 at Freedom Plaza, a new exhibition in Washington, D.C., honoring the heroes and martyrs of the American Revolution. Go and see!” — Donald Trump, Truth Social post
- “removed and stored so there can be an overdue discussion about the public display of historical figures and events.” — Mike Purzycki, Mayor of Wilmington (June 2020)
Future Outlook
The Freedom Plaza installation will stay open through Independence Day. Lawmakers in several states are reviewing slavery-linked monuments, and advocacy groups plan public forums on historical representation in the coming months.
