Sen. Tommy Tuberville faced significant backlash after he shared an altered image of Mount Rushmore that added President Donald Trump’s face. He suggested renaming Presidents Day in Trump’s honor, which led to quick responses from Democrats and some conservatives.
Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama, posted the edited image on X on Presidents Day. He wrote, “As we reflect on our nation’s greatest presidents, it’s hard to think of a President who has been more influential in modern history than President Trump. Petition to rename today as ‘President Donald J. Trump Day’?”
The post gained a lot of attention and sparked replies that ridiculed the idea and challenged Tuberville’s tribute on a day that honors President George Washington and President Abraham Lincoln. Democratic Rep. Brendan Boyle from Pennsylvania replied directly: “Get off your knees Tommy. You’re pathetic,” according to The Daily Beast.
Author Kirk Walden also criticized Tuberville, highlighting the holiday’s historical significance and Washington’s role in founding the nation. “Coach, no. Just no,” Walden wrote, emphasizing Washington’s leadership during the Revolutionary War and the early days of the Constitution, as reported by The Daily Beast.
Tuberville’s post coincided with Trump allies occasionally reviving the idea of adding Trump’s likeness to Mount Rushmore. This suggestion has circulated in conservative circles for years. The National Park Service stated that there are no suitable spots left for additional carvings, according to previous public statements from the agency.
Get off your knees Tommy. You’re pathetic. https://t.co/PJGjXm1xTF
— Congressman Brendan Boyle (@RepBrendanBoyle) February 17, 2026
The Daily Beast noted that the backlash to Tuberville’s Presidents Day post came amid ongoing discussions among some Trump supporters to elevate his status alongside past presidents through patriotic imagery and national monuments in political messaging.
It appears Tuberville did not delete the post after the criticism emerged and it is still up at the time of writing this report.
A former college football coach, Tuberville has remained a staunch Trump ally and gained attention for earlier comments defending the president. The Daily Beast reported last year that Tuberville claimed Trump’s swollen ankles were caused by pressure from “radical leftists” during a radio interview.
The Presidents Day debate followed earlier discussions on whether any president could be added to Mount Rushmore. The Northeastern University news site, citing a National Park Service statement reported by The New York Times, mentioned the agency concluded there is no more room for additional carvings on the memorial.
Mount Rushmore, completed in 1941, features Presidents Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The memorial’s management has regarded the sculpture as complete and has referenced both artistic and geological limitations when questions about additions have arisen in the past.
Tuberville’s post attracted attention because it combined an altered image of the monument with a call, even if just a suggestion, to rename a federal holiday. Critics viewed the message as an attempt to flatter the president instead of honoring the presidents historically associated with the day.
Grovelling to the president has seemingly been a winning strategy for those who want to curry favor. Tuberville made headlines last year due to his openess to Trump running for a third term, so his latest post is very on-brand.
