Trump announces new videos celebrating America's 250th, offering alternative to 'woke' lessons

On Thursday, the White House released a new video showcasing President Donald Trump's message for "The Story of America," an educational series produced by Hillsdale College to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. 

"The spirit of 1776 has carried our flag to places and heights that our Founding Fathers could never have dreamed," Trump said from the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. 

"Americans forged into the frontier and blazed across the great plains. We tamed the wild west, we pushed the boundaries of scientific discovery. We enlightened the world with electricity and commerce. We defeated tyrants and vanquished dictators, and we planted the American flag on the moon. We owe it all to the patriots and heroes of 1776." 

Majority of students in urban areas are failing core subjects

The announcement comes amid many efforts by the Trump administration to reverse what many criticize as wokeness infiltrating America's education system, teaching children to hate America and spending time on leftist initiatives instead of teaching students the basics of reading, writing, math and English. 

In grade school, test scores across many of America's blue cities show a demonstrable deterioration of proficiency in major subjects. Many cities across America, particularly in large urban areas, have public school systems where the majority of students—often 70-80% or more—are performing below grade level in core subjects like reading and math, as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Ranking at the bottom are cities like Los Angeles, Austin, Chicago, Detroit, and Boston.

This chronic underperformance in failing districts means most students lack foundational skills, exacerbating educational inequities and limiting future opportunities. Among the worst collegiate offenders in the spread of woke ideology in American higher education are Harvard University, Columbia University, and the University of Pennsylvania, institutions that became emblematic of institutional failure through their tolerance of anti-semitic harassment and protests in recent years. 

These elite schools prioritized expansive DEI bureaucracies and identity-based policies over academic merit and free inquiry, allowing radical activism to disrupt campuses while administrators often responded with equivocation or inaction. 

Grants to emphasize American history, founding principles, national pride

Their leadership scandals, including congressional testimonies that downplayed threats to Jewish students and subsequent resignations, exposed how deeply progressive indoctrination had compromised traditional educational values.

The Trump administration has aggressively reversed this trend through executive actions that dismantle DEI programs across institutions receiving federal funds, while specifically targeting non-compliant universities like Harvard and Columbia with funding restrictions and investigations. 

To restore genuine civic education and patriotism, the Department of Education launched the America 250 Civics Education Coalition with partners such as Hillsdale College and Turning Point USA, providing grants to advance curricula that emphasize American history, founding principles, and national pride rather than division. 

Complementing these efforts, the administration expanded taxes on the largest university endowments—raising rates as high as 8 percent on the wealthiest schools—to curb resources supporting ideological agendas and redirect focus toward classical, unifying education that instills love for the United States.

In the video, Trump continues, "We’re excited to retell one of the greatest tales in the history of mankind, working with Hillsdale College and some of our country’s brightest leaders and foremost thinkers who have contributed to the ‘Story of America’ video series, including Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Dr. Larry Arnn, Eric Metaxas, Brian Kilmeade, and many others." 

Trump: "We will give America the greatest birthday celebration our country has ever seen"

The series includes contributions from Cabinet officials, Hillsdale College faculty, and other prominent figures. The episodes trace America’s founding, beginning with the opening shots at Lexington and Concord, through the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, and the establishment of a new nation. 

Fourteen episodes are already available, with additional ones planned for release. President Trump also reflects: "Americans forged into the frontier and blazed across the Great Plains. We tamed the Wild West. We pushed the boundaries of scientific discovery. We enlightened the world with electricity and commerce. We defeated tyrants and vanquished dictators, and we planted the American flag on the moon. We owe it all to the patriots and heroes of 1776. This is the story of America." 

He concludes with a call to action: "Join us in honoring this incredible history, and together we will give America the greatest birthday celebration our country has ever seen."

Amanda Head is the White House correspondent at Just The News. Follow her on X.