Trump's welcome message to new citizens isn't very welcoming

Trump’s welcome message to new citizens isn’t very welcoming
His message to naturalized citizens is part of an effort to redefine American identity and patriotism

By Chauncey DeVega
Senior Writer
Published September 30, 2025 6:45AM (EDT)


(Salon) The age of Donald Trump and the future of American democracy are dominated by a question: What does it mean to be a real American, and who gets to decide?

One answer is embodied by the nearly 1 million people who choose to become naturalized Americans each year. At the end of that journey, they receive an American flag, copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, their citizenship papers — and a welcome letter from the president.

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On Sept. 17, President Trump released his version of the letter given to naturalized Americans — and it must be said that his welcome letter is not that welcoming. He is, symbolically and ideologically, the country’s first White president, and his understanding of what it means to be an American is very different from his predecessors.

The letter is full of unmemorable bromides and has none of the moving language used by Reagan and other presidents. Rather than highlighting how immigrants and their contributions have made America great and exceptional, Trump’s letter stresses obligations and responsibilities, focusing on what the U.S. has given these new citizens.

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Instead of trumpeting on “ideas or ideals” as the core focus of America’s vision, the president’s letter points to “culture and tradition,” David Graham observed in The Atlantic. “For Trump, the nation is less a melting pot where different cultures combine harmoniously than a crucible where foreign notions are burned off and a homogenous mix emerges,” he wrote. “It’s also a move away from a focus on the intellectual underpinnings of the American project, which was an essential message for past presidents, regardless of party.” ..................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/09/30/trumps-welcome-letter-to-new-citizens-isnt-very-welcoming/