The Trump administration has unveiled a large poster that is believed to inaccurately quote Theodore Roosevelt in anticipation of America’s upcoming national celebration.
Displayed on the Theodore Roosevelt Federal Building, which is home to the Office of Personnel Management, the banner features an image of the former president alongside a quote attributed to him: “Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don’t have the strength.”
Although this quote is associated with Roosevelt on Goodreads and circulates widely on the internet through various motivational posters (including some attributing it to Napoleon Bonaparte), The Washington Post has pointed out that scholars have found no evidence Roosevelt ever said these words.
Michael Patrick Cullinane, co-director of the Theodore Roosevelt Center, remarked, “What I can say for certain is that the quote did not originate with Theodore Roosevelt.” He intends to include this “courage” quote in an online list of misattributed quotes.
The Washington Post’s coverage followed shortly after Steve Herman, executive director at the University of Mississippi’s Jordan Center for Journalism Advocacy and Innovation, noticed the poster at the OPM building while attending a nearby event in the nation’s capital.
Herman, who previously served as a senior White House correspondent at Voice of America and is a self-proclaimed fan of Roosevelt, criticized the misquote as “inexcusable” and “actually kind of sad, but not surprising.”
He emphasized, “The federal government, as far as things like American history and literacy and civics, should set an example.”
McLaurine Pinover, speaking for the Office of Personnel Management, shared with the Post that the quote “is commonly attributed to Roosevelt and captures the spirit of the federal workforce.”
“As excited as we are about America 250, it’s surprising the Washington Post has taken such an interest in our small agency’s building banners. Slow news day?” Pinover commented.
The Washington Post via Getty Images
The Roosevelt banner is accompanied by another Freedom 250-themed exhibit on a different section of the building.
Freedom 250, a group supported by Trump, claims to be a “non-partisan organization” and has taken over efforts to organize events for the 250th anniversary of America (this includes the Great American State Fair concert series, and the name was used to promote the White House UFC event on Sunday).
The group is distinct from the congressional America 250, which has been assigned the task of promoting the nation’s milestone birthday.
JS has contacted Freedom 250 for their input regarding the Roosevelt banner.
