WASHINGTON — During a round table discussion about reopening schools across the nation, President Donald Trump asked Missouri Governor Mike Parson about St. Louis.
"For our state, people appreciate it Mr. President and First Lady, for where we are headed to this country, we went through hard times before and we will continue to get through hard times and we will be better for it and we will be stronger," Gov. Parson said.
“And you won't be changing the name St. Louis, will you?” Trump asked.
Gov. Parson replied and chuckled “no we won’t.”
“Thank you, that’s very important,” Trump said with a smile.
Activists have said King Louis IX doesn't fall in line with modern values and that he was specifically problematic when it comes to his views on Jewish and Muslim religions.
For a longer and more detailed biography on King Louis IX, click here.
"To many people of Jewish heritage, he is known as someone who persecuted the Jewish people of France, confiscated and burned the Talmud, and 665 years before Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany he required Jewish people to wear an identification badge in public," architectural historian Michael Allen with Washington University told 5 On Your Side in June.
As of July 7, nearly 1,000 people have signed a petition to get the name of St. Louis changed.
