The United States marked its 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence (Semiquincentennial) on July 4, 2026. The large-scale national celebrations under the title Salute to America 250 was marked by unprecedented weather anomalies that covered much of the East Coast.
Evacuations and delays in Washington
- Emergency: Severe thunderstorms, accompanied by dangerous lightning and winds of up to 110-130 km/h (70-80 mph), forced an emergency two-hour evacuation of hundreds of thousands of visitors and media from the National Mall (National Mall).
- Record heat: Before the storm, Washington recorded a temperature of 39°C (102°F), making this July 4th the hottest on record for the city, breaking the record set in 1919. About 140 million Americans were under a dangerous heat warning.
- Political Event: The celebrations were organized by the White House-loyal organization Freedom 250. These included the Great American Fair, an air show, and large-scale concerts, although several Democratic-controlled states declined to participate due to the event's heightened politicization.
Donald Trump's speech: "America is back"
- Delay: President Donald's official address was delayed for hours and took place around 11:00 p.m. local time (6:00 a.m. Bulgarian time) after the Secret Service reopened security checkpoints.
- Message: Trump stated in his platform that he will speak “against time”. In his speech, he emphasized American exceptionalism, patriotism, and a vision of a new “Golden Age“, calling for a fight against domestic radical threats and the “resurgence of communism“.
- Historical fireworks: Immediately after his speech, the largest pyrotechnic show in US history began, with fireworks being fired over 850,000 fireworks for 40 minutes.
The situation in the country
- New York: The celebrations went ahead as planned with an international parade of tall ships around the Statue of Liberty, led by an air show by the French and US Air Forces, and the traditional lighting of the Macy's was pulled early due to an approaching front.
- Philadelphia and Boston: Philadelphia canceled its traditional daytime parade and evacuated its holiday concert in the evening. The Boston Symphony Orchestra (Boston Pops) also delayed its performance due to heavy rain.
- Colorado: More than a dozen municipalities in the state have canceled fireworks entirely due to extreme drought and the risk of devastating wildfires.
Sources: CNN Live Updates, BBC News Live, USA Today and ABC News