Trump launches America’s 250th birthday celebrations with partisan attack

Trump Delivers Remarks at Mount Rushmore Marking 250th Anniversary of US Independence

President Donald Trump spoke for approximately 30 minutes on Friday evening at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota as part of events marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The address occurred four months before the November midterm elections for Congress.

Trump opened by praising the four presidents depicted on the monument—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln—describing them as “men of action, men of ambition, men of daring, men of destiny and men of truly great intelligence” and “the great men of history.” He noted that he has not ruled out the possibility of his own likeness being added to the carving.

The president stated that American exceptionalism derives from the Constitution as well as the country’s distinct culture and identity. He said recent efforts had sought to “beat the American spirit out of us” and “alienate us from our history,” and told the audience, “We are going to give our country its identity back.”

Trump linked these themes to warnings about communism. He said that a generation after the end of the Cold War, “there is now a resurgence of the communist menace in our land, including from newcomers to our country who embrace ideas totally opposed to our way of life and our great success.” He described communism as a greater threat to American liberty than the world wars or the September 11, 2001 attacks, stating it is “the enemy of the constitution” and “the enemy of July 4th, 1776.” He added that communism represents “death, tyranny and the pursuit of evil” and contrasted loyalty to Karl Marx with loyalty to America.

The president also addressed immigration in connection with these points, saying the country would “vanquish communism quickly” and “send them into exile.” He told supporters, “We will send them quickly away, and we will continue to build our country bigger and better and stronger than ever before. America will never be a communist country.” He characterized the Communist Party as consisting of “illegal immigrants, criminals and everybody that doesn’t want to work.”

Trump urged Congress to end the filibuster and enact the Save America Act. He said doing so would prevent the Republican Party from losing an election for 100 years. Earlier in the program, actors portraying the four presidents recited well-known quotations, and country music performer Chancey Williams played a set. Audience members included individuals holding signs such as one reading “Trump the GOAT.”

The event took place in the Black Hills, a region the federal government took from the Sioux Nation in 1877 after Congress required the tribe to relinquish territory previously guaranteed by treaty. The monument itself commemorates presidents who held office during periods of territorial expansion and the abolition of slavery.

Trump’s approval ratings stand near historic lows for a president at this stage of a term. He is scheduled to speak again on Saturday at the National Mall in Washington ahead of a fireworks display, with parts of the Independence Day observances affected by high temperatures.

The speech followed a pro-immigration address by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, and came after several progressive candidates, including democratic socialists, won Democratic primaries in New York, Colorado, Kentucky, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas in recent days.