US President Donald Trump has said he is planning to establish a commission to promote “patriotic education” in his country, taking issue with efforts to highlight the American history of slavery and racism.

Trump was speaking at the National Archives, which houses the US Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence, on Thursday.

Trump has sought to portray himself as a “law and order” candidate in the November 3 election against rival Joe Biden and his announcement on Thursday to use an executive order to establish the commission could also be a move to appeal to his base.

In a speech rife with race-baiting and dog whistles, the President decried “left-wing mobs” and claimed their tactics were comparable to anti-American propaganda used by foreign adversaries. He also railed against people who have taken to the streets around the country this year to protest racial injustice.

Trump said “left-wing mobs” had torn down statues, desecrated memorials, and carried out a “campaign of violence and anarchy.”

“Whether it is the mob on the street, or the cancel culture in the boardroom, the goal is the same: to silence dissent, to scare you out of speaking the truth, and to bully Americans into abandoning their values, their heritage, and their very way of life,” he said.

“We are here today to declare that we will never submit to tyranny.  We will reclaim our history and our country for citizens of every race, color, religion, and creed.”

Trump is trailing Biden in national opinion polls. Biden has also condemned looting and violence that have been part of some anti-racism protests.

In his speech, the President also railed against racial sensitivity trainings and claimed that college students are “inundated” with teachings related to critical race theory. 

Trump said the commission would “encourage our educators to teach our children about the miracle of American history.”

“America’s founding set in motion the unstoppable chain of events that abolished slavery, secured civil rights, defeated communism and fascism, and built the most fair, equal, and prosperous nation in human history,” he said.