Eisenhower site observes 250th. Trump team fights screwworms | Opinion

Eisenhower site offers world of history to celebrate 250th

The first time I set foot in Abilene, Kansas, was the day of my granddad's funeral in 1969.

Having never been here before, I did not know what to expect as a child. Today, I cannot imagine living anywhere else. After traveling all over the world in my professional life and eventually settling in Abilene, I understand why my granddad called it "the very heart of America."

This year, our nation turns 250. It is an anniversary worth celebrating, and one meaningful way Kansans can participate is by reflecting on our shared history. To help mark this milestone, the National Archives and Records Administration has assembled a treasure trove of documents straight from their vaults.

Aptly named "Opening the Vault at the Presidential Libraries," this extraordinary collection of original documents is now on display at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene through July 5, 2026.

"We the people" owe it to the next generation to be good stewards of our country and ensure the stories of our past are not forgotten. This exhibit allows visitors to experience history firsthand. Where else can a child in Kansas stand inches away from the Louisiana Purchase, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the World War II German Surrender document and my granddad's 1957 Executive Order desegregating Little Rock Central High School?

Bring your entire family and do not miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these documents right here in Kansas. I believe you will leave inspired, with a desire to learn more about our country.

Mary Jean Eisenhower, granddaughter of Dwight D. Eisenhower and board member of The Eisenhower Foundation

Trump administration's actions led to screwworm infestation

In 1966, the United States was declared totally free of screwworm infestation, a terrible scourge of livestock.

In early 2025, under the term of (President Donald) Trump's secretary of agriculture Brooke Rollins, the USAID program for the monitoring and control and tracking of the spread of screwworms in central America was totally terminated. This program was one of the reasons we had been free of screwworms for 60 years.

Also, under her term in early 2025, the USDA's Animal & Plant Health Inspector Service lost one-fourth of its workforce. One of the responsibilities of APHIS was to do inspections to help prevent screwworms from entering the United States. This was another program that helped keep us free of screwworms.

And in February of 2025, Rollins allowed the importation of live cattle from Mexico, which increased the chances of screwworms entering the United States. At the time, none of our Trump-enabling congressmen raised any objections to any of these three acts. In fact, Sen. (Roger) Marshall praised the termination of the USAID program calling it wasteful and fraudulent (he has not called the gold-gilding of statues in D.C. wasteful).

Now after 60 years, we have a screwworm infestation in Texas. The response of Rollins and Marshall has been to blame Biden! Our Trump-enabling congressmen are all praising Secretary Rollins for now stopping the importation of the cattle - which she authorized - and they are all calling for more funding and action to stop the infestations when they stayed silent when the preventative programs were terminated or reduced.

Four of these congressmen - Marshall and U.S. Reps. (Tracey) Mann, (Ron) Estes and (Derek) Schmidt are up for reelection in November. When you go to vote, remember what they did and did not do.

Ron Svaty, Ellsworth

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Eisenhower site observes 250th. Trump team fights screwworms | Opinion

Reporting by Special to The Capital-Journal / Topeka Capital-Journal

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This story was originally published June 21, 2026 at 4:04 AM.