Ruben Navarrette Columnist, host & author
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Opinion

Trump order on English official language threatens US diversity

Ruben Navarrette Columnist, host & author
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On March 1, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing English as the official national language of the United States of America. It is the first designation of an official national language in the nation’s history.

The modern United States is composed of diverse territories and populations that historically spoke a wide variety of languages, primarily Spanish, German, French and English, in addition to indigenous American languages. The administration argues that a single designated language will create a stronger national community, but critics worry that it might adversely impact non-English communities throughout the American states and territories.

Watch the above video as Straight Arrow News contributor Ruben Navarrette argues against Trump’s designation of English as the official U.S. language, calling the order “farcical” and “xenophobic.” Navarrette argues that diversity, far from being a vulnerability, is an American strength.

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The following is an excerpt from the above video:

Be that as it may, Trump is focused now on defending English. His executive order, which is the first of its kind for America, reads: “A nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society, and the United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exchange ideas in one shared language.”

One shared language! Whatever country Trump is talking about, [it] ain’t the United States. We’re not just the world’s number one economic engine and military power. We’re also a country of linguistic mutts who speak dozens of languages from a multitude of countries and somehow still manage to communicate with one another. That’s America, baby.

I realize that, to Trump, this language stew must sound awfully messy. In a White House meeting during his first term, the president reportedly asked why the United States must take in immigrants from “shit-hole countries.” He suggested admitting a lot more people from Norway. Norway, huh? Yeah, for Trump, that sounds about white.

I realized that no one asked me, but I don’t want to be Norway. I don’t want the United States to be Norway, where I presume everyone looks the same and speaks the same language — boring!

Trump’s executive order continues: “To promote unity, cultivate a shared American culture for all citizens, ensure consistency in government operations and create a pathway to civic engagement, it is in America’s best interest for the federal government to designate one and only one official language.”

You know what would really be in America’s best interest? If voters would stop electing these slimy and opportunistic politicians who play divisive games with race, ethnicity, immigration, language and other things that help make the USA one of the strongest and most diverse nations on the globe.

How do you translate in Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, or the language of your choice? The following phrase, don’t bother closing the barn door after the horse has run off. That old saying applies to a xenophobic Executive Order recently signed by xenophobic President Donald Trump, the ultimate culture warrior. Trump couldn’t wait in a flurry of hundreds of executive actions to designate English as the official language of the United States. In fact, I’m surprised the President didn’t issue that decree during his first term. If Trump is trying to defend English, as ludicrous and unnecessary as that sounds, well, wasn’t English also in need of defense back then? Maybe he was too busy slandering Mexican immigrants as rapists and criminals, which, when you think about it, was supremely ironic given the charges and accusations that have been leveled against Trump in recent years.

Be that as it may, Trump is focused now on defending English his executive order, which is the first of its kind for America, reads quote a nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society, and the United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exchange ideas in one shared language, one shared language, whatever country Trump is talking about, ain’t the United States. We’re not just the world’s number one economic engine in military power. We’re also a country of linguistic muts who speak dozens of languages from a multitude of countries and somehow still manage to communicate with one another. That’s America, baby. I realize that to Trump this language stew must sound awfully messy in a White House meeting during his first term, the president reportedly asked why the United States must take in immigrants from, quote, shit hole countries, he suggested admitting a lot more people from Norway. Norway, huh? Yeah, for Trump, that sounds about white. I realized that no one asked me, but I don’t want to be Norway.

I don’t want the United States to be Norway, where I presume everyone looks the same and speaks the same language, boring. Trump’s executive order continues, quote, to promote unity, cultivate a shared American culture for all citizens, ensure consistency in government operations and create a pathway to civic engagement. It is in America’s best interest for the federal government to designate one and only one official language. You know what would really be in America’s best interest if voters would stop electing these slimy and opportunistic politicians who play divisive games with race, ethnicity, immigration, language and other things that help make the USA one of the strongest and most diverse nations on the globe. And why do this all the scare up votes from racists and Nativists, that’s what these culture Crusades are always all about. Trump didn’t invent that game, but he learned to play it real fast, and he’s a natural. In fact, he’s a demagogue in chief.

You may recall that way back in 2015 during his first run for the White House, the real estate mogul attacked his chief opponent, Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who speaks fluent Spanish with an unhinged xenophobic tirade in Trump’s book. Bush’s sin was speaking Spanish on the campaign trail at the time, referring to Bush, Trump told a reporter for Breitbart News quote he really should set the example by speaking English while in the United States in 2024 however, it was a totally different Trump who made what were for a Republican historic gains with Latino voters.

He pulled down as much as much as 46% of that demographic according to exit polls. How do you do it? Well, it didn’t hurt that the Trump Vance campaign made such an aggressive pitch for Latino support, which included wait for it ads on Spanish language radio and television. See what I mean about the horse in the barn door. Trump’s executive order declaring English the official language of the United States is a joke. It’s also late. It’s farcical and meaningless. In fact, I’m not sure the President is even following it. I

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