03/02/2025
🇺🇸 🇺🇸🇺🇸 THE FOUNDER'S ZONE 🇺🇸 🇺🇸🇺🇸
You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension—a dimension where the architects of a fledgling nation convene with a modern-day leader. A dimension where the past and present collide over the principles of liberty and authority. You’ve just crossed into… the Founders’ Zone.
Picture, if you will, a stately tavern in the afterlife. Seated around a polished oak table are some of the men whose signatures birthed a nation: Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington. Today, they are joined by a figure from the future—President Donald J. Trump. The topic of their discourse: a recent decree to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the ‘Gulf of America,’ and the subsequent barring of journalists who refuse to adopt this new nomenclature.
In this realm, the words of the Founding Fathers resonate anew, their actual quotes rendered in italics. As they engage with the 45th President, the conversation traverses the delicate balance between freedom of the press and executive authority. Prepare yourself for a journey into the Founders’ Zone, where history’s voices challenge the present, and the echoes of liberty are never silenced.
Location: The Blue Liberty Tavern, a stately establishment situated along the Elysian Promenade.
Date: February 20, 2025
Menu:
• Roast duck with Madeira sauce (Hamilton’s choice)
• Virginia ham with cornbread (Jefferson’s pick)
• Oyster stew and a glass of milk (Washington)
• A hearty bowl of turtle soup (Franklin’s delight)
• Well-done steak with ketchup (Trump’s request)
• Brandy and Madeira available at Franklin’s insistence
Participants:
• Alexander Hamilton (sharp, restless, impeccably dressed)
• Thomas Jefferson (serene yet intense, twirling a quill between his fingers)
• Benjamin Franklin (chuckling to himself as he scribbles in a notebook)
• George Washington (silent but commanding, observing with hands folded before him)
• Donald J. Trump (animated, gesturing emphatically, sporting a distinctive red tie)
Transcript Begins
Reporter: Gentlemen, thank you for gathering. Today, we are joined by President Donald Trump. The issue at hand: President Trump has barred an Associated Press team from Air Force One and the White House because they refuse to use “The Gulf of America” instead of “The Gulf of Mexico.” What are your thoughts?
Jefferson: “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” The notion that a president should dictate the language of the press is antithetical to the republic’s foundations.
Trump: (interrupting) Look, it’s about respect. We’re promoting American greatness. It’s the Gulf of America now, and they should acknowledge that. If they don’t, they don’t get access. Simple.
Hamilton: (raising an eyebrow) While national pride is commendable, the Constitution provides that “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” This extends to the executive branch as well.
Trump: (leaning forward) I’m not stopping them from writing. They can write whatever they want. But I control who gets on Air Force One. It’s a privilege, not a right.
Washington: (setting down his spoon) The presidency is an office of service, not of personal aggrandizement. To use its power to coerce the press sets a dangerous precedent.
Franklin: (smirking) “Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.” Restricting press access because they don’t parrot official terminology is a step toward such subjugation.
Trump: (shrugging) It’s about ensuring accurate information. If they’re spreading misinformation by using outdated names, it’s my duty to correct that.
Hamilton: (pointing his fork) The press serves as a check on power, not its subordinate. Compelling them to use government-sanctioned language undermines their independence.
Jefferson: Indeed. “To preserve the freedom of the human mind… every government should be limited in its power of inflicting punishment for opinions.” Denying access as a form of punishment encroaches upon this freedom.
Trump: (defensive) It’s not punishment. It’s about maintaining standards. They can choose—use the correct name or lose access.
Washington: (nodding solemnly) Such actions may erode public trust. The people rely on a free press to hold leaders accountable, not to serve as their mouthpiece.
Franklin: (raising his glass) To liberty, to a free press, and to the enduring wisdom of those who question power!
Trump: (raising his glass reluctantly) To America.
Washington: (lifting his glass) To the republic.
Transcript Ends.
