Trump uses America's 250th Independence Day for campaign-style rhetoric and warns of communists

The program was originally conceived as a nonpartisan celebration, but weeks earlier President Trump had created a second organization called "Freedom 250" by executive order. It received the lion's share of the funds Congress had allocated and staged most of the events in the capital, including the "Salute to America" party on the evening of July 4. The independent organization "America 250" was thus pushed into the background.

Politicization and cancellations

Several musicians, including the bands The Commodores and country singer Martina McBride, canceled their performances in protest at the politicization of the celebration. Instead of a concert program, fighter jets and other military aircraft performed flyovers above the capital – an aerial spectacle that had to be cut short due to a later thunderstorm.

The day in Washington initially featured an extreme heat wave with temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius and high humidity. The traditional Independence Day parade in the morning was canceled because of the heat, as were numerous events in cities along the East Coast. The National Park Service also warned of harmful particulate matter pollution and advised sensitive individuals to wear protective masks. Helpers distributed water to visitors at the festival grounds, and several people collapsed.

Heat wave and security measures

Before Trump took the stage, singer Lee Greenwood performed his patriotic hit "God Bless the USA." Trump, who had billed his appearance in advance as "the most spectacular of all Trump rallies," ultimately spoke to thousands of cheering supporters chanting "USA, USA" – the same call-and-response heard at his campaign events.

Trump, who is identified in the facts as the 47th President of the United States, delivered his speech on an outdoor stage behind a bulletproof glass panel. A severe weather warning with lightning and thunder forced the grounds to be temporarily evacuated in the evening; authorities urged people to take shelter in nearby museums, government ministries, and other public buildings. Thousands of visitors had to leave the festival grounds.

Thunderstorm forces evacuation

After about two hours, the audience was allowed to return to the grounds. Trump therefore took the stage only after 11 p.m. local time, roughly an hour later than planned. He later wrote on platform X: "Thunderstorms bring luck. They also make events a bit more exciting."

In substance, Trump once again used the speech as a stage for campaigning on his own behalf. He described the United States as "a God-chosen nation of victors, destined to lead the world," and issued sharp warnings of an alleged imminent communist takeover. His administration would confront this "like a cancer that must be cut out early" and defend freedom in the spirit of the Founding Fathers, he said.

Trump launched sharp attacks against the Democratic Party, repeatedly linking it to communism. The background, according to available information, is the success of the left-wing group Democratic Socialists of America in Democratic primaries and the rise of New York's new and popular mayor, Zohran Mamdani. Trump said: "America will never be a communist country. That will not happen." At the same time, he declared: "We don't want communists in our country."

Attacks on Democrats and the communism accusation

The president also touted his political achievements in his second term, cited the war against Iran as a success, and announced investments of "19.2 trillion" that his policies had triggered. On Truth Social the previous evening, in a speech at the Mount Rushmore monument, he had already warned of an alleged communist threat, alluding to the recent electoral victories of left-wing Democratic politicians.

Trump also used the Washington event to promote his "Save America Act," a bill on new voting rules that has failed to find a majority in Congress for months. He also called on Congress to pass a voter ID requirement. Observers accuse Trump of increasingly blurring the line between official commemoration and campaigning – criticism echoed by the opposition Democrats in media coverage.

On stage, Trump honored several veterans, including Arthur Rose, a 107-year-old Marine veteran who had taken part in the D-Day Allied landings in Normandy. Other veterans had served in, among other engagements, the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, the Korean War, and the Cold War at Checkpoint Charlie. Also invited onto the stage were the four-member Artemis II crew, which had orbited the moon in April, as well as families of U.S. soldiers killed in action, known as Gold Star Families.

Vice President JD Vance gave a speech the same day in New York Harbor aboard the warship "USS Kearsarge." He called on Americans to "abandon the two-dimensional view of their fellow citizens and the two-dimensional view of their country." In New York, a flotilla of historic tall ships, "Sail250," had earlier sailed up the Hudson River, accompanied by flyovers at the Statue of Liberty.

Vance in New York and commemorations in Philadelphia

In Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776, a time capsule containing objects from all 50 states was buried in the ground; it is to be opened in 2276 for the country's 500th birthday. In Charlottesville, Virginia, 75 people from around the world were granted U.S. citizenship at the former home of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson.

During the celebrations, dozens of masked men marched near the Capitol wearing baseball caps and bearing symbols of the far-right group "Patriot Front," which believes in the superiority of white people. Some participants waved Confederate flags, now regarded as a racist symbol. Police emphasized the right to free expression and did not intervene; afterward it was reported that there had been no violent incidents.

Far-right march near the Capitol

For the "Salute to America" party on the National Mall, Trump had announced the largest fireworks display in history: according to organizers, a total of 850,000 pyrotechnic effects were fired into the sky from ten locations. The show lasted around 35 to 40 minutes – roughly twice as long as usual – and began shortly before midnight. According to official figures, it broke the previous world record set by a Philippine megachurch in 2016. A dense cloud of smoke subsequently hung over Washington and was described as potentially harmful to health.

Record fireworks over the capital

Congress had begun preparing the originally nonpartisan anniversary a decade ago. Numerous Democrat-led states such as Connecticut and Washington, however, had refused to organize exhibitions in the pavilions assigned to them, citing the high costs. Massachusetts Democratic Governor Maura Healey accused Trump of lining his own pockets and demanding that the states foot the bill for his "ridiculous" state fair. The grounds on the National Mall had been converted by the Secret Service this year into a high-security zone accessible only with a ticket.

Dispute over costs and direction

In about four months, the United States faces important midterm congressional elections. According to available information, Democrats could win majorities in both chambers, as the report states. Trump's approval ratings have recently fallen sharply, also under the impact of the Iran war.

The National Mall in Washington had filled up hours before Trump's appearance; thousands more people gathered along the Potomac riverbank and in parks across the capital to watch the promised spectacle in the sky. In the end, it was an evening of heat, thunderstorms, pathos, and a fireworks display that, according to the organizers, set a new world record.