Trump Delivers July Fourth Address at Mount Rushmore Amid Record Heat and Partisan Controversy
President Trump kicked off America's 250th Independence Day celebrations with a speech at Mount Rushmore, declaring the nation stronger than ever while attacking communism and political opponents amid dangerous triple-digit heat that forced event changes across Washington, D.C.
Mount Rushmore Speech and Political Attack
Trump brought up communists, a label he has applied to multiple Democrats running for election in 2026. "There is now a resurgence of the communist menace in our land, including from newcomers to our country, who embrace ideas totally opposed to our way of life and our great success," he said. He called communism "a mortal threat to American liberty" akin to 9/11, "the enemy of the Constitution," "the enemy of July 4, 1776," and "the enemy" in general.
Historic Pope's Message
Accepting the 2026 Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center via livestream from the Vatican, Leo said America's founding ideals made it "a byword for freedom" around the world as it "opened its doors to successive waves of immigrants." The first American pope, Leo XIV, accepted the 2026 Liberty Medal and urged Americans to recommit to the nation's founding ideals.
Dangerous Heat Disrupts Celebrations
The Great American State Fair on the National Mall has temporarily closed because of dangerous heat. Event organizers announced the fair, held next to the Salute to America celebration, is closing to the public and asked guests to leave the grounds as temperatures reached triple digits this afternoon. Washington, DC, has activated an extreme heat alert through July 5, as Saturday is expected to mark the hottest July Fourth that DC has ever recorded, boasting a current forecast of 101 degrees.
Record-Breaking Fireworks Planned
A Pennsylvania-based pyrotechnics company plans to launch more than 850,000 fireworks over Washington in an attempt to set a world record tomorrow during the capital's Independence Day celebration.