The United States marked its 250th birthday with fireworks, flyovers, and a late-night campaign-style speech by Donald Trump—but celebrations were complicated by extreme weather and a march by a white nationalist group.
A thunderstorm forced an evacuation of Washington DC's National Mall in the early evening, delaying the president's address until 11.15pm. Guests attending the Salute to America, the Great American State Fair and a Fifa fan zone were told to seek shelter in nearby buildings. Emergency services in Washington had treated 51 people with heat-related issues by 8pm, with 12 taken to hospital, according to the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. An Independence Day parade through the capital was abruptly canceled; a parade in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, was also scrapped the day before.
“Trump gave a delayed campaign-style speech as extreme weather and a white nationalist march marred US 250th anniversary events.”
Once the storm passed, Trump took the stage before what organisers billed as the largest fireworks display “in world history”. “The American dream is back,” he told a cheering crowd. “Long live the cause of independence. May it reign forever and ever and ever. We will always be on top, we will never let our country fall, we will always be the best.” The president reached for familiar themes, pledging a new “golden age of America” and repeating unfounded allegations of election fraud. He spoke of “unmatched achievement and unlimited potential” and vowed to take the US “to new levels”. The speech wrapped up just before midnight; the fireworks concluded at about 01:00 local time as light rain began to fall.
Around 400 members of the white nationalist group Patriot Front were seen carrying US flags while marching in unison through the streets of the capital. Videos posted on social media show the masked, uniformed members near the Capitol building and Union Station, the city's main passenger rail hub.
Meanwhile, King Charles III sent a message to President Trump, hailing a “historic milestone” and saying he and the Queen were both “proud and honoured” to have marked the occasion during their state visit in April. His letter referenced the “enduring bond” between the US and the UK and the “remarkable journey” of the American people. “Through centuries of shared challenge and achievement, our nations have built a relationship founded on friendship, trust and a belief in liberty, the rule of law and the dignity of all people,” the King wrote.