As hundreds of thousands of individuals had their eyes glued to Sunday’s Tremendous Bowl, President Donald Trump apparently wanted to discover a technique to deliver the eye again to him. Not solely did he declare Feb. 9 as “Gulf of America Day,” however he referred to as for abolishing the penny on his flight again from New Orleans.
In a publish to Fact Social, Trump introduced he had instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cease minting America’s one-cent cash.
He wrote, “For far too long, the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents. This is so wasteful. Let’s rip the waste out of our great nations budget, even if it’s a penny at a time.”
Like so many issues Trump has tried to do or say since retaking the White Home simply final month, it’s not clear if he can unilaterally discontinue the penny. As The New York Instances reported, congressional intervention would possible be required for the reason that physique dictates America’s forex specs.
He’s proper about one factor, although: pennies price greater than they’re price. A 2024 report from the U.S. Mint said that the unit price for pennies (3.69 cents)—and nickels, for what it’s price—has exceeded their face worth for the nineteenth consecutive fiscal 12 months. A conservative estimate from a 2024 New York Instances Journal story stated that roughly 240 billion pennies are mendacity across the nation—which quantities to about $7.24 for each man, lady, and little one residing right here.
Ought to America transfer ahead with Trump’s considerably controversial plan, it wouldn’t be the primary nation to eliminate pennies. Canada sunsetted its one-cent coin greater than a decade in the past. Since then, money transactions are actually rounded to the closest nickel. Australia, in the meantime, removed its one- and two-cent cash again in 1992.
Philadelphia Eagles gamers have fun with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Eagles received the NFL Tremendous Bowl 59 soccer recreation on Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans.
It is sensible that Trump would maintain a grudge towards Philadelphia, although: The town overwhelmingly supported former Vice President Kamala Harris over him on this previous 12 months’s election. Trump additionally canceled a deliberate go to to the White Home by the Eagles in 2018 citing a disagreement on standing through the nationwide anthem. In fact, fewer than 10 Eagles gamers had dedicated to attending the White Home occasion.
In truth, one in every of Trump’s solely posts in regards to the Tremendous Bowl singled out … Taylor Swift. Swift endorsed Harris within the 2024 presidential election, and Trump hasn’t forgotten. In a late-night publish to Fact Social, he argued that the pop star had a “tougher night” than the Chiefs after the crew her boyfriend performs for misplaced by 18 factors.
Taylor Swift embraces Kansas Metropolis Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce after the NFL Tremendous Bowl 58 soccer recreation towards the San Francisco 49ers, on Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas.
“She got BOOED out of the Stadium,” Trump stated, an obvious reference to Eagles’ followers booing Swift when she appeared on the jumbotron. “MAGA is very unforgiving!” (This, after all, isn’t true. Swift didn’t seem to care and as an alternative laughed off Philadelphia followers.)
Perhaps Trump had a sense that the Chiefs had been in for a tricky evening. Or maybe he simply craves the highlight (in all probability the latter). Earlier than the Tremendous Bowl, he introduced aboard Air Drive One which he had signed an govt order renaming the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America.”
Why is it that Trump loves the highlight and must make the whole lot about him? Should you ask his cronies within the White Home, they’ll say his ubiquity is a part of his try and solidify his base of help whereas putting a distinction with former President Joe Biden. However certainly, Trump additionally needs to satiate his personal ego.
“As Politico summed it up best, ‘Trump is everywhere again,’” White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated throughout her first briefing in January. “And that’s because President Trump has a great story to tell.”
Marketing campaign Motion
