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Trump's pardon for suffragist Susan B. Anthony slammed as a stunt: 'Women are not going to fall for this'

One of the most vocal activists in the fight for securing voting rights for women, Anthony was convicted for voting in Rochester in 1872, after she violated legislation at the time that said only men could vote
PUBLISHED AUG 18, 2020
Donald Trump (L), Susan B. Anthony. (Getty Images)
Donald Trump (L), Susan B. Anthony. (Getty Images)

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday he would grant a posthumous pardon to suffragist Susan B. Anthony as a tribute to her on the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. One of the most vocal activists in the fight for securing voting rights for women, Anthony was arrested for voting in Rochester, N.Y., in 1872, after she violated legislation at the time that said only men could vote. The fearless firebrand was convicted of her crime the following year. "She was never pardoned," Trump said during a ceremony at the White House. "She got a pardon for a lot of other women. And she didn't put her name on the list."

Flanked by his wife Melania Trump, the president signed a proclamation commemorating the 100th anniversary of the pathbreaking amendment, which was ratified on August 18, 1920, and gave women the right to vote. The 19th Amendment states that “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

"It was a monumental victory for equality for justice, and a monumental victory for America,” he said.

Last week, Trump said he supported a bill to build a monument honoring suffragists and the 19th Amendment in Washington.

"The legislation by Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., would establish a 22-foot monument called 'Every Word We Utter' to pay tribute to women who fought for their right to vote," USA Today reported, adding that it "would include depictions of Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Harriot Stanton Blatch, Ida B. Wells, and Alice Paul."

However, the announcement did not go down well with anti-Trump Twitterati, with several users rushing to criticize the move.

"Susan B Anthony wouldn’t care. SHE knew she would get arrested, it was an act of civil disobedience. I think if she were alive today she would be ACTIVELY fighting HIS ATTACKS on voters rights just as strongly as she FOUGHT FOR VOTERS RIGHTS back then!!!" one wrote.

"Really?!? Women are not going to fall for this. Ms. Anthony has been dead for 113 years. A pardon now is worth absolutely nothing, and reeks of pandering to an audience which is actually not going to look on it favorably," another added.

"LOL, like Donny has any idea who Susan B Anthony was. I'm sure Jared read about it in a book and thought it was a good idea," a third wrote.

"And here I thought he was going to pardon George Washington for cutting down the cherry tree. Big disappointment," another quipped.

Trump is expected to continue his nationwide tour amid this week's Democratic National Convention. He is slated to visit Yuma, Arizona, on Tuesday to discuss immigration and border issues, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to tour storm damage.

The president said during a Monday speech in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that his presumptive 2020 challenger Joe Biden and the Democrats wanted "to raise taxes, increase government regulations, confiscate guns, and protect the criminals."

"We are in a fight for the survival of our nation and civilization itself," he added.

Meanwhile, former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders told the Democratic convention "the future of our democracy is at stake. The future of our economy is at stake. The future of our planet is at stake."

The Vermont senator also said Trump “is leading us down the path of authoritarianism.”

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