WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President Donald Trump ushered in the 250th anniversary of American independence on Friday with soaring rhetoric about American exceptionalism before veering into a darkly political speech with warnings about a sinister threat of communism that evoked one of the country鈥檚 ugliest chapters.
鈥淐ommunism is a mortal threat to American liberty,鈥� he said from Mount Rushmore. 鈥淚t is the greatest threat to our country, including World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor or even 9/11.”
While the language was to several other speeches Trump has given in recent days, it was notable for being delivered in a national park that commemorates some of America’s most prominent presidents. And it swerved from the typically apolitical, unifying speeches past presidents like Gerald Ford or Ronald Reagan have delivered during earlier high-profile Independence Day celebrations.
Indeed, Trump’s language evoked the Red Scare of the 1950s, when alleged communists were persecuted and blacklisted from jobs across America, from Washington to Hollywood.
In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, delivered his own address that cast America as a nation of contradictions 鈥渨orking each day towards the perfection in which it was conceived.鈥�
The president’s speech capped an Independence Day eve that was otherwise most notable for a brutal heat wave the gripped much of the eastern portion of the country. Officials have warned those celebrating the holiday to stay hydrated and take air-conditioned breaks as needed.
Philadelphia canceled its Salute to Independence parade Friday. The Great American State Fair in Washington shut down in the early afternoon before reopening at 5 p.m. The Capitol Fourth concert, a mainstay of the holiday in Washington, opened its gates a little later than normal but ultimately moved forward with appearances from Patti LaBelle, Trace Adkins, members of the Artemis II space mission and fireworks over George Washington鈥檚 Mount Vernon. An Independence Day parade scheduled for Saturday in Washington was canceled.
Looking for a place to cool off
By early afternoon Friday in Washington, hundreds of people were roaming the grounds of the National Mall, home to The . They snapped photos of the flyovers and tried to cool off inside tents that offered $9 lemonades and $23 turkey legs. Many were dressed in patriotic colors, their faces glistening with sweat.
Glenn Brooks, who was pardoned by Trump for his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, said he was 鈥渢hankful to be participating in this grand event.鈥�
The activity culminates in the main event Saturday, when fireworks will erupt in communities across the U.S., along with backyard cookouts and block parties. Trump will deliver another speech at the National Mall in Washington before what is being billed as a historically massive fireworks show.
As the rest of the country struggled under stifling heat, the Pacific Northwest enjoyed temperatures in the 60s with even a few light showers.
World Cup soccer fans in Seattle were staying cool Friday as they got psyched up for Monday鈥檚 big game between the U.S. and Belgium. In the nearby suburb of Issaquah, Megan Kurowski, 31, brought her two dogs to the dog park so they could get some exercise before she went to work.
Kurowski said she was feeling positive about America鈥檚 250th anniversary and was planning a possible paddleboard to watch the fireworks.
鈥淓veryone鈥檚 just, from what it seems, been pretty excited about celebrating 250 years,鈥� she said.
The holiday is unfolding at a unique time in the U.S. The anniversary has served as an opportunity for the country to reflect on its history while also reminding it of the political polarization of the moment.
On a holiday of unity, there is an undercurrent of division
In New York, Mamdani, a Democrat, did not mention Trump by name, but parts of his speech appeared aimed at the president鈥檚 divisive rhetoric.
鈥淔or generation after generation, we have been told that when the world has sent its people to our shores, it has not sent its best,鈥� Mamdani said in an apparent reference to a common criticism from Trump. 鈥淭hose ideals upon which our nation was built 鈥� they are strong enough to endure any authoritarian regime, but only if we reach for them.”
Freedom 250, an organization aligned with the White House, has come to rival America250, a bipartisan group founded by Congress a decade ago. Freedom 250 has organized much of the activity in Washington, including the . America250 is behind the ball drops unfolding in many cities, including New York, and will host a concert in Los Angeles on Saturday.
About 4 in 10 U.S. adults feel 鈥減roud鈥� about the country鈥檚 250th anniversary, according to an April from . Roughly 3 in 10 said 鈥渆xcited鈥� describes their emotions.
Ahead of the holiday, auto technician Joe Fuqua-Bejarano in Topeka, Kansas, sized up 鈥渨hat makes us awesome鈥� as a people. It is clearly not the politics, in his view, but rather resilience.
鈥淲e鈥檝e just all got to find unity somewhere, whether that鈥檚 in laughter or perseverance, and keep everybody cool,鈥� he said from the fireworks stand where he is doing a booming business as a side hustle.
Christina Zhou, a 25-year-old research assistant from Cambridge, Massachusetts, said she would aim to 鈥渢hink about just things that are happening locally.鈥�
鈥淚t feels a little bit more like within our own personal control,” she said.
Jerry Chin of Newcastle, Washington, said he wasn鈥檛 aware that the U.S. was celebrating its 250th anniversary and planned to stay low-key around the holiday. He and his wife generally skip the fireworks and instead stay home with their fearful dogs to keep them calm.
鈥淎merica鈥檚 a great place, but there are some concerns,鈥� he said. Chin, 55, and his wife worry about healthcare and issues around staying healthy, but they also stress about politics.
鈥淲e鈥檙e Democrats, so kind of given up hope,鈥� he said. 鈥淛ust feel that it is the way it is. I don鈥檛 know if there could be change.鈥�
At the National Archives in Washington, visitors made their way through the Rotunda to look at the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights — and to escape the heat outside.
Michael Dresdner, 60, traveled from West Orange, New Jersey, with his wife, Cindi, 57, and about two dozen other people to be part of the America 250 celebrations. He said their group of travelers included people on both sides of the political aisle — and that is what gave him hope for the future of American democracy.
鈥淲e are all here, and we all love America,鈥� he said.
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Peoples reported from New York. Associated Press writers Martha Bellisle in Seattle, Anthony Izaguirre in New York, John Hanna in Topeka, Kan., Michael Casey in Cambridge, Mass., and Calvin Woodward, Didi Tang, Gary Fields and Nathan Ellgren in Washington contributed to this report.
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