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Washington: President Donald Trump mixed partisan politics with patriotic appeals as he commemorated the 250th anniversary of American independence, declaring the moment \u201cone of the most joyous and glorious milestones of all time\u201d.<\/p>\n
Speaking in Washington after storms prompted the National Mall to be evacuated for two hours, Trump honoured veterans, including several from World War II and one of the first black officers to lead a special forces team in combat in Vietnam.<\/p>\n
They appeared before flags that symbolised some of the most significant and challenging moments in American history, from the one that was draped over Abraham Lincoln\u2019s casket to the one that flew on the plane piloted by the Wright Brothers.<\/p>\n
Trump also leant into partisan territory, unusual for an Independence Day address, which presidents typically use as a moment to unify the country.<\/p>\n
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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump at the event.AP Photo\/Alex Brandon<\/p>\n
He stumped again for the SAVE America Act, an elections bill encountering challenges even from Trump\u2019s fellow Republicans in Congress, highlighted his support for the Second Amendment and revived denunciations of communism, all of which are becoming increasingly central to Trump\u2019s messaging ahead of the November midterms.<\/p>\n
The president also spoke of how he had made the US capital \u201csafe, gleaming, and beautiful again. Went from a very unsafe place two years ago to one of the safest cities in the country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The address capped a holiday that Trump has gone to great lengths to shape to his own tastes.<\/p>\n
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Trump addresses the crowd during the Salute to America event on the National Mall in Washington.Bloomberg<\/p>\n
He was introduced by two musical performers who often appear at his trademark rallies, including Lee Greenwood, who performed God Bless America. The event organisers were largely aligned with the White House, supplanting a bipartisan organisation that was launched by Congress a decade ago.<\/p>\n
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Attendees at the Salute to America event in Washington, that went on late into the night.Bloomberg<\/p>\n
Wrapping up, Trump said: \u201cWe have thrived and flourished because our founders were great. Our cause was just, our people are brave, our culture is exceptional, and our destiny is written by God.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is only the dawn of the golden age of America.<\/p>\n
Anticipation for the milestone holiday had been building for much of the year, offering Americans an opportunity to reflect on their complicated history as former colonists of an empire who became a superpower of their own.<\/p>\n
Organisers of celebrations months in the making had to adjust or cancel activities entirely as much of the East Coast sweltered in heat that approached, and in many cases surpassed, triple digits (Fahrenheit).<\/p>\n
Heat defines the weekend<\/p>\n
Severe weather prompted the cancellation of celebrations in Hartford, Connecticut, along with Harrisburg and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n
Spectators at Boston\u2019s fireworks and concert were told to briefly seek shelter before events later resumed. An evacuation was also ordered in Philadelphia. New York and Pittsburgh moved forward with fireworks but shifted the time to accommodate the shifting weather.<\/p>\n
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The event climaxed with a huge fireworks display to honour the nation\u2019s 250th anniversary.AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein<\/p>\n
The disruption was particularly acute in Washington, where signs at the Great American State Fair posted an alert shortly after 7pm Eastern Time, encouraging participants to leave the area.<\/p>\n
Crowds gathered in museums, subway stations and federal buildings near the Mall. At the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Centre, they waited in chairs and sat on the floor to cool off in the air-conditioning.<\/p>\n
Crowds were building in the area several hours before the evacuation. Tina Hale, 58, of Cohoes, New York, watched three of her grandchildren dip their hands into a pool of water near a museum. Hale pointed toward the sky and urged them to look up as three military jets roared overhead.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf that doesn\u2019t make you proud to be an American,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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People wait to re-enter the National Mall after severe weather warnings prompted an evacuation.AP Photo\/Pablo Martinez Monsivais<\/p>\n
David Koshko, 42, and his wife, Jennifer Koskho, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, came to Washington for a baseball game but planned to stay for the city\u2019s fireworks show. After baking in the heat for hours during the Pittsburgh Pirates\u2019 win over the Washington Nationals, they took a break in the shade of an overpass near the National Mall to plot their next stop.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust to be a part of the 250 years (anniversary) is an amazing thing,\u201d said David Koshko, a commercial driver and veteran of the Marine Corps reserves.<\/p>\n
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People rest in the shade at the Great American State Fair on Friday.AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson<\/p>\n
In Philadelphia, fireworks began to crack as early as midday in the birthplace of the nation near the site where the Declaration of Independence was adopted by delegates to the Second Continental Congress.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of visitors were gathering at Independence Hall in the sweltering heat to await the celebrations coinciding with the France-Paraguay World Cup knockout game at Philadelphia Stadium, which began with commemorations of the holiday.<\/p>\n
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Military aircraft flank Air Force One in a flypast over the National Mall.AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s one big party in here,\u201d Carlos Alban, who travelled to Philadelphia from Chicago to watch the match, said as he arrived at the stadium, adding that he spotted a fan in the parking lot dressed as one of the Founding Fathers.<\/p>\n
In New York, tall ships, with their masts, rigging and white sails outlined against a blue sky, made a procession around the Statue of Liberty and up the Hudson River, recalling the fanfare around America\u2019s 200th anniversary in 1976.<\/p>\n
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The Patrouille de France perform a flyover during the Sail4th 250 Tall Ships Parade along the Hudson River in New York.Bloomberg<\/p>\n
The 43 ships were followed by a display of aerial might with a stealth bomber and the Navy\u2019s Blue Angels. Patrouille de France, the French Air Force\u2019s acrobatic team, flew over New York Harbour with their red, white and blue trails, evoking images of the American flag.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got up early and just rode our bikes about a mile down here to come see the scene,\u201d said Oona Moore, a Jersey City resident who took in the New York festivities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe saw the tall ships, and we saw the planes, you know, all different manner of military aircraft. I\u2019ve never seen it so close and in the sky at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n
At George Washington\u2019s Mount Vernon, people took the Oath of Allegiance to become US citizens. They stood with eyes closed and hands over hearts for the national anthem.<\/p>\n
Related Article In Phoenix, Steven Dortch, 25, and his brother JayLn Dortch, 23, gathered at Granada Park to try to forge a new July 4 cookout tradition. JayLn Dortch said young people in the US give him hope by thinking for themselves and not taking the words from older people at face value.<\/p>\n He said the country needs to keep in mind the everyday, hardworking people who \u201ckeep America going\u201d.<\/p>\n AP<\/p>\n Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what\u2019s making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"\u201cWe](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/20926969586f522586e7a109134013d8ec7f0bb3.jpeg\")
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