Donald Trump turned America's 250th birthday celebration into a campaign-style rally on Wednesday, speaking at the kick-off of the Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The event, intended as a moment of national unity, instead featured divisive rhetoric and personal grievances.
Trump's Speech Focused on Personal Grievances
Trump, standing behind protective glass near the Washington Monument, discussed topics such as transgender "mutilisation," a new White House ballroom, and rebranding the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. He also praised a cleaned statue of Christopher Columbus and railed against alleged vandals at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, without providing evidence.
The president, whose approval ratings have hit new lows and who faces a war in Iran pushing consumer prices to a three-year high, used the platform to attack his predecessor Joe Biden. "A short time ago we were a dead country," Trump said, and "The American Dream is alive again. It's something that nobody thought they'd be saying when you went through that last four years of incompetence."
Event Lacked Bipartisan Participation
Cabinet members and House Speaker Mike Johnson attended, but Democrats were absent. The crowd featured MAGA hats and Trump gear, with liberals notably scarce. Originally scheduled performers including Young MC, Martina McBride, and the Commodores withdrew due to concerns the event had become politicized. The revised program included the US Marine Band and Christopher Macchio singing Nessun Dorma.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy addressed the crowd, bemoaning "those libtards that cancelled on us" and declaring Trump "the greatest president that's ever existed in this country since George Washington."
Trump's Vision for America's Anniversary
Trump described the US as "superior to any nation that's ever been built" and said Americans are "carrying forward the light of western civilisation," a phrase often used by the far right as a proxy for white Christian nationalism. This was said near Smithsonian museums that Trump has sought to eviscerate; Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch told The Atlantic that this is probably the most difficult time for the institution since the Civil War.
The event ended with the crowd rising to chant "Make America great again" as Trump danced to the Village People's YMCA. Another celebration with fireworks is planned for July 4 on the National Mall. "Your favourite president will be speaking, so please show up," Trump implored, sounding like a lame duck.
