President Trump describes milestone as ‘one of the most joyous and glorious’ in US’s history in campaign style speech.
Severe weather has disrupted celebrations of the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence, including in Washington, DC, where a thunderstorm delayed a speech from President Donald Trump by almost two hours.
Trump, addressing a crowd of thousands after Saturday’s delay, described the milestone as “one of the most joyous and glorious” in the nation’s history.
He paid tribute to veterans, including several who served in the second world war and one of the first Black officers to lead a Special Forces team in combat in Vietnam.
The president also used the occasion to press his case for the SAVE America Act, an elections bill that has run into resistance even among Republicans in Congress, blending partisan appeals with the patriotic tone of the day. “We will always be on top,” he said. “We will never let our country fall. We will always be the best.”
In New York City, authorities put on a large fireworks display to mark July 4th celebrations, bringing the 30-minute show forward because of the threat of storms.
The rain and lightning stayed away, allowing thousands of people to enjoy the spectacle.
Earlier in Washington, DC, authorities ordered a weather-related evacuation, with spectators sheltering in nearby museums and government buildings for a few hours. But the crowd later retuned to an open field near the Washington Monument several hours later.
Visitors had waited hours to get into the event, contending with stepped-up security and temperatures that reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius). The record-breaking heat wave forced the cancellation of several parades and other events in the area.
“It’s just part of the deal I signed up for,” said Glen Solander, 60, a software engineer visiting from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as he waited at a security checkpoint on Saturday afternoon.
Other visitors included the white nationalist organisation Patriot Front.
The group posted on social media that it had arrived in the capital, and hundreds of people wearing the group’s outfits travelled to the city on Metro trains serving the District of Columbia region.
Local police said they had not received any reports of violence.
Past presidents have generally avoided in-person appearances at July 4 celebrations, but Trump has blurred the line between official commemoration and campaign-style politics.
The Trump administration’s Freedom 250 group has largely sidelined a nonpartisan body set up in 2016 to handle the 250th anniversary and has fenced off much of the 2.4-kilometre (1.5-mile) National Mall for a “Great American State Fair” featuring attractions such as a Ferris wheel alongside displays by conservative groups and defence contractors.
Freedom 250 says the fair aims to showcase the people and innovations that make the US “the greatest nation on Earth”.
Several Democratic-led states declined to send delegations, and many performers scheduled to appear dropped out, citing concerns about partisanship.
Trump opened the event with a rally on June 24.
Other activities with Freedom 250 branding include a faith rally featuring mostly conservative Christian speakers, and multiple sports events, including a card of mixed martial arts bouts on the White House grounds for Trump’s 80th birthday on June 14.
An IndyCar race in Washington is scheduled for August.
The Freedom 250 organisation also sponsored “Freedom Trucks” that critics say paint an overly religious version of American history and gloss over issues such as slavery and racial injustice.
Trump has sought to remake wide swaths of the capital city ahead of the 250th celebration, with mixed results. Many fountains and statues have been renovated, but problems have beset a much-touted $15m renovation of the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool.
Security cameras and soldiers now stand watch over its peeling paint and algae-fouled waters.
Benito Miranda Hernandez completed three tours during the Iraq war but now faces removal from the US to Mexico.
Hundreds of masked white nationalists marched on Washington DC ahead of Freedom 250.
The semiquincentennial has been meet with controversy, as President Trump seeks to exert influence over the celebration.
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