Trump Administration Unveils New Pledge of Allegiance Featuring Presidential Name
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a move that has sparked both praise and concern across the political spectrum, President Donald J. Trump today unveiled a revised version of the Pledge of Allegiance that includes direct reference to his name and leadership. The updated pledge, referred to as “The New American Loyalty Statement,” was introduced during a nationally televised ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda.
“This is a pledge for a new era,” President Trump declared, flanked by Vice President J.D. Vance, Education Secretary Marjorie Taylor Greene, and an assembly of uniformed youth from the newly formed America First Youth Council. “It’s about restoring pride in our country, loyalty to the truth, and honor to the man who saved this nation — me.”
The revised pledge reads:
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of Trump, and to the greatness for which he stands, one nation under Trump, indivisible, with liberty and jobs for all.”
The White House confirmed that starting January 2026, the updated pledge will be required in all federally funded K-12 schools, courthouses, and government buildings. Agencies have been directed to “transition printed materials, murals, and signage to reflect the updated patriotic standard.”
The Department of Education has already issued compliance guidelines to public school districts, including a seven-point lesson plan titled “Understanding National Allegiance in the Trump Era.”
Reaction on Capitol Hill was swift and divided.
House Speaker Elise Stefanik called the pledge “a bold reaffirmation of moral clarity in American classrooms,” while Democratic leaders condemned the move as a constitutional overreach. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued a statement calling the rewording “a desecration of democratic principle and a de facto cult of personality.”
Constitutional scholars have raised questions about the legality of altering the pledge through executive directive. The original Pledge of Allegiance, penned in 1892 and last modified in 1954 to include the words “under God,” has been considered a cultural mainstay. Critics warn that politicizing the language of national unity sets a troubling precedent.
“It’s not just unprecedented — it’s deeply autocratic,” said Dr. Melanie Hsu, a professor of American Political History at Georgetown University. “To place a living president’s name into a national loyalty oath breaks every norm we have about democratic governance and shared civic identity.”
Still, administration officials dismissed the backlash as “typical partisan hysteria.” Press Secretary Byron Donalds told reporters during an afternoon briefing that “Americans are tired of disloyal elites and fake patriotism. This pledge reflects the gratitude the nation feels for President Trump’s sacrifices.”
When asked whether the language might be altered in future administrations, Donalds was firm: “There is no reason to remove the truth once it’s been spoken.”
In a companion executive order signed late Friday, the president also authorized the engraving of the new pledge on the front steps of the Lincoln Memorial, pending approval by the National Park Service.
The Department of the Treasury declined to comment on unconfirmed reports that the words “under Trump” are being considered for inclusion on future U.S. currency designs.
For now, the updated pledge is scheduled to debut formally during the president’s State of the Union address in February, where schoolchildren from select districts will recite it live before Congress.
This is a developing story.