President Trump wrapped up his remarks after 39 minutes at 11:54 p.m. ET, shortly before the calendar flipped to July 5.
He gave a slightly truncated version of his speech, which had originally been set to go about 45 minutes before weather delays intervened.
“At 250 years old, we may be the oldest constitutional republic on earth, but our country is just getting started, because the best is yet to come,” Trump said on the National Mall.
President Donald Trump reacts during his speech at “Salute to America 250” on the National Mall on July 4, 2026. Getty Images
“This is only the dawn of the Golden Age of America, and on this 250th Fourth of July, we declare, just as they did two and a half centuries ago, that for our country, for our children, for the cause of liberty, we are going to take our country to new levels, to levels not reached.
“We’re going to make it bigger, better, stronger, and we’re going to love it even more. And I just want to thank you … and I want to thank everybody, and we love you all, and it’s an honor to be your president.”