Had President Richard Nixon (R), a Republican, not taken action to create the Environmental Protection Agency, our nation’s bird might’ve been flying six feet under the radar in the present day. The bald eagle’s comeback story from near extinction is vital to America’s history. It’s right up there with Hebrew being the only dead language to be resurrected. So why is President Trump not only seemingly trying to dissolve the very agency credited with saving the bald eagle, but also undermining the work of a former Republican President? I can’t imagine it’s to throw Hollywood a bone, as it constantly struggles to find real-life stories for the big screen. Hollywood often struggles to find real-life stories, yet those roles dominate the Oscars. Just look at the last 20 years — most winners played real people. That’s pattern recognition, and it matters here.
In 1963, only 417 known nesting (breeding) pairs of bald eagles were known to be in existence in the lower 48 states — a dangerously low number. The causes of their near extinction might surprise you. They include not only actual dangerous chemicals but the toxins of hate and misinformation that spew from the mouths of humans. Farmers believed that bald eagles posed a danger to livestock, including lambs and chickens. People thought this, and hence the widespread shooting of the bald eagle began. The Truth: While eagles will eat almost anything to survive, they’re usually snatching up fish and carrion. But words and bullets weren’t the only predators this bird faced.
The Eagle Has Landed (on the Endangered Species List)
Additionally, the use of Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (better known as DDT) is also to blame for the near demise of the eagle. While DDT proved highly effective in controlling insect infestations, it also became a panacea of sorts — practically eradicating malaria in the US. But not without its problems. When this pesticide made contact with eagle egg shells, it weakened them, causing them to crack during the incubation period.
On December 2, 1970, President Richard Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), partially in response to public outcry over air and water pollution. Two years later, in 1972, the government banned the use of DDT. The bald eagle was placed on the endangered species list while protection of its habitats got underway. Had the eagle not had all these extra eyes looking out on its behalf, humans — we, the people — would have likely killed the very creature that embodies the essence of America.
Cut to 2025 — present day — President Trump is in the thick of thinning federal jobs. He’s also dismantling the EPA — the very agency credited with the comeback of the bald eagle. We made America great again by preserving the bald eagle and focusing our attention on cleaning up the messes we made.
Just a coincidence? Consider this: In December 2024, then-President Joe Biden officially designated the bald eagle as our national bird. Wasn’t it already? Technically no. It was our national emblem, designated in 1784. Semantics count in instances like this. Verbiage is where legal eagles (lawyers) win and lose cases. Words are important.
Ben Franklin Cries Fowl
Let’s go back years earlier and bring in another influential figure from American history. You might almost wonder if Ben Franklin was trying to convey a message to a future generation in a letter to his daughter, expressing his disgust with the eagle being the national emblem. Passed off as satire, he claimed the eagle had a severe lack of moral character. Franklin, a polymath (it takes one to know one), preferred the wild turkey as the bird of choice for America because it’s indigenous to North America and gives a nod to the Indigenous people who were already living here when America was “discovered.” By the way, the wild turkey is mentioned in the Bible. The humorous part in this is that Jesus turned water into wine, and now we have a reference to bourbon whiskey. Is the Bible really a fully stocked bar? I digress, but will raise the bar again.
The Hollywood Connection, of Course
If all of this is merely coincidental, then the uncanny continues with actor Tom Hanks (a fantastic actor) having his West Point recognition ceremony suddenly cancelled. Hanks was to be recognized as an Outstanding U.S. Citizen for his acting portrayals in movies like Forrest Gump. Why is West Point (which is housed in my home state of NY) giving out this award to begin with? I’ll let the pundits decide, but West Point said it was cancelling Hank’s ceremony to focus on its core mission of producing soldiers. Does the story take yet another turn? Duh! Much like Trump, Nixon, and Franklin, another character comes into play. Tom Hanks’ son, Chet — an actor and musician — even links back to the wild turkey, albeit through whiskey: Wild Turkey ages some bourbon in Jamaican rum casks. Another uncanny feather in the pattern. It’s the same year Wikipedia credits Tom Hanks with being honored by West Point, adding to the confusion.
If this discovery makes me a fortune teller, then let me predict who else will get this West Point award in 2023.
Elizabeth Dole. Yes, the very Elizabeth Dole — Republican, Author, Lawyer, Red Cross Advocate, Former US Senator. Officially, Elizabeth Dole (2023), Barack Obama (2024), and Tom Hanks (2025 — canceled ceremony). But Wikipedia listed Hanks prematurely in 2023, fueling confusion.
There’s a lot of nepotism at play — everyone is trying to keep power in the family. I even tested the system myself, switching my political affiliation from Independent to Republican, then to Democrat, to see the response. What I found still demands investigations into whether Donald Trump is usurping checks and balances. He’s tried to silence reporters and reduce rights for LGBTQ+ Americans. Not on my watch. I’m not a Hollywood actor or a power politician — I’m a journalist with an Emmy, and my role has always been to play myself: to speak the truth as I see it.
But it’s not about awards. It’s about recognition. Not the spotlight recognition. The recognition that people deserve respect and deserve to know someone is actually a sign that someone is looking out for their well-being. It’s about recognizing these patterns and putting them all together. None of this surprises me in the least.
Hints of truth exist everywhere — even in fiction. A true story inspired the movie Philadelphia and Tom Hanks’ portrayal of a gay lawyer. Even that role was shadowed by a lawsuit from Geoffrey Bowers’ family, a reminder that cinema activism and exploitation often blur. By the way, Tom Hanks’ middle name is Jeffrey.
The parallels are obvious and evident. But let’s get back to the bird nest here. I don’t know President Trump’s motives. But I do know this: dismantling protections, renaming landmarks, and undoing progress deserve more scrutiny than they’re getting. And I also know this — President Trump himself has said that those who try to protect their country will not be persecuted. I’m not a rich Hollywood actor. I’m not a powerful politician. I’m just a bald, gay journalist who graduated from SUNY Brockport in upstate New York. Our mascot — the golden eagles. A bird known to be rare in the Northeast. But maybe it’s true what they say about birds of a feather.
