US President Donald Trump marked the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of American Independence with a speech dedicated to American exceptionalism, before moving on to dark political warnings about the ominous threat of communism, which he said was responsible for some of the most terrible periods in the country's history, the Associated Press reported, BTA reported.
“Communism is a mortal threat to American freedom. It is the greatest threat to our country, including World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor or even September 11“, he said in his speech at Mount Rushmore National Monument in South Dakota.
The AP notes that Trump's rhetoric is familiar from other speeches of his in recent days, but this one The speech was notable for coming in a national park that honors some of America's most prominent presidents. It departed from the typically apolitical, unifying rhetoric of past presidents like Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan and previous Independence Day celebrations. The agency notes that Trump's language harks back to the so-called Red Scare of the 1950s, when suspected communists were persecuted and fired from jobs across America, from Washington to Hollywood.
Meanwhile, in New York, socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivered his own address, portraying America as a nation of contradictions, "working every day to achieve the perfection for which it was conceived."
The president's speech was the culmination of the festivities on the eve of Independence Day Independence Day, which was otherwise most notable with a heat wave that swept much of the eastern states. Philadelphia canceled its “Salute to Independence” parade yesterday. The Washington, D.C., fair was temporarily closed this afternoon. The anniversary concert started a little later than announced, but eventually took place, featuring performances by musicians and fireworks. The Independence Day parade scheduled for today in Washington, D.C., was canceled.
In the early afternoon yesterday in Washington, D.C., hundreds of people walked through the “National Mall” park, where the “Great American State Fair” was taking place, some dressed in the colors of the American flag.
Glenn Brooks, who was pardoned by Trump after being convicted of his role in the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, said he was “grateful to be here for this grand event“.
The celebrations will culminate today, when fireworks will light up the skies across the country, and many American families will celebrate the holiday with family and friends with a traditional barbecue. Trump is expected to deliver another speech in Washington before the expected “historically large fireworks display”.