US President Donald Trump is delivering a speech from Mount Rushmore as the country marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, amid the Freedom 250 celebrations, a White House-backed program of events billed as the biggest birthday party in US history.
Trump is speaking beneath the granite faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt, with military tributes, flyovers, and a fireworks display also scheduled at the South Dakota landmark.
The event marks Trump’s return to Mount Rushmore six years after his 2020 Independence Day appearance there, which drew protests from Native American activists and criticism over Covid-era crowding.
President Trump Delivers Remarks at Mount Rushmore, Jul. 3, 2026 https://t.co/uqsWzXhQTk
The return of fireworks to Mount Rushmore has also prompted environmental and wildfire concerns, as much of the US endures a record heat wave that has disrupted July Fourth events elsewhere. While Mount Rushmore itself is forecast to be cooler, with storms possible, critics have warned about holding a large pyrotechnic display in the Black Hills region amid broader drought and fire-risk concerns.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previewed the president’s address as an answer to the age-old question of “what does it mean to be an American?” and a defense of living in “the greatest country in the history of the world.”
At the same time, a recent Gallup poll found that only 58% of US adults said they were “extremely” or “very” proud to be American – the lowest level recorded since the pollster began asking the question in 2001. Other polling has suggested that a significant number of Americans do not plan to celebrate July 4 this year, while many doubt the country’s ability to endure another 250 years.
The anniversary has also been overshadowed by disputes over whether the festivities have become too closely tied to Trump personally, rather than serving as a bipartisan national commemoration.
In Washington, DC, the anniversary celebrations are set to continue with a large ‘Salute to America’ event, military flyovers, and what organizers have described as a record-scale fireworks show.
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