President Donald Trump confirmed he would deliver a speech at the 250th anniversary celebration of US independence "no matter what happens," despite thunderstorms and temperatures exceeding 39 degrees Celsius that forced authorities to temporarily evacuate tens of thousands from the event area and delay the speech by one hour.
US President Donald Trump announced he would proceed with his speech at the 250th anniversary celebration of the country's independence at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., despite severe weather forcing authorities to temporarily evacuate attendees from the venue.
Just hours before the speech, officials ordered tens of thousands of attendees to leave the National Mall as a thunderstorm approached, while temperatures in Washington soared to 39.4 degrees Celsius, marking the highest July 4 temperature on record.
Reporters said the evacuation caused chaos as some attendees refused to leave and tried to break through barricades to return, shouting "Charge!" and "Trump! Trump!" while police used loudspeakers to urge everyone to leave the area immediately.
The 80-year-old Trump posted on the platform Truth Social, saying, "Storms bring luck to every event and make it more exciting. We'll wait for the storm to pass. I don't mind even if it means waiting until 2 a.m." He added, "I'll be there no matter what happens. It's Saturday night, let's have fun—even if it ends late."
Later, White House officials and the Freedom 250 organizers announced the speech would be postponed by one hour to 11:00 p.m. local time, concluding with a 40-minute fireworks display described as the largest ever held for US Independence Day.
The event also featured military aircraft flyovers and rally-style activities, differing from past US presidents' tradition of avoiding appearing at Independence Day events to prevent politicizing the occasion.
This year's celebration took place amid a heatwave covering the US East Coast, with the National Weather Service reporting over 160 million people under heat warnings, leading to cancellations or modifications of parades, barbecues, and other Independence Day activities.
Earlier, Trump visited Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota and delivered a speech declaring that America's identity was being "attacked again" by domestic extremists, also criticizing what he called a "resurgence of communism," a theme he has frequently raised recently.
Meanwhile, near the US Capitol, hundreds of members of the white nationalist group Patriot Front gathered in uniform, chanting slogans like "Reclaim America," though police reported no incidents of violence.
Pope Leo XIII, the first American pope, spoke on the US 250th anniversary, stating that the "American Dream" should include welcoming, protecting, and aiding immigrants, reflecting a stance differing from the Trump administration's strict immigration policies.
A Quinnipiac University poll showed 61% of Americans believe the US has not fully lived up to the ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence; most Republican supporters believe the country still adheres to these ideals, while most Democratic supporters disagree.
Additionally, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found that most Americans, including about three-quarters of Democrats and roughly half of Republicans, think this year's 250th anniversary celebration was too political.
Outside Washington, unstable weather affected celebrations in several cities: New York moved up its fireworks display time, while Philadelphia and Boston evacuated attendees from concert and riverside celebration areas for safety.