President Trump weighs in on St. Louis Park, Minnesota, Pledge of Allegiance controversy
The decision by a local Minnesota city council to remove the Pledge of Allegiance from its meetings prompted a reaction from President Donald Trump on Thursday.
"The Pledge of Allegiance to our great Country, in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, is under siege," the president said on Twitter. "That is why I am going to win the Great State of Minnesota in the 2020 Election. People are sick and tired of this stupidity and disloyalty to our wonderful USA!"
The council unanimously voted to no longer recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of meetings to ensure everyone from diverse backgrounds felt welcome, according to ABC News' affiliate KSTP.
But the vote angered some in the community, which has a population of about 45,000.
"The mayor and council are aware of the President’s tweet and are focused on the work of the city," Jacque Smith, Communications and Marketing Manager of St. Louis Park, Minn., City Council, told ABC News.
"At its July 8, 2019, meeting the city council agreed that at a future study session they would consider undertaking a process of having a focused conversation with St. Louis Park residents about the role of civic expressions in our work, including the Pledge of Allegiance, and how to best express our values and principals in order to create a more engaging civic space for all of our neighbors," she added. "The meeting date for this discussion is still being finalized."
