President Trump speaks at Mount Rushmore before America’s 250th fireworks display
America’s 250th anniversary celebrations at Mount Rushmore ended with a fireworks display after President Donald Trump’s remarks.
KEYSTONE, South Dakota – President Donald Trump on July 3 used the unmistakable face of Mount Rushmore to speak about another important identity: American identity.
“A nation’s identity is its destiny,” he told the audience gathered for a speech commemorating America’s 250th anniversary. Trump, wearing a blue suit and purple tie, stood beneath the 60-foot-tall faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.
He warned the crowd about what he had portrayed as the “communist” threat posed by progressive Democrats.
“On the eve of America’s 250th anniversary of freedom, we resolve to hear from the people of the United States that we will defeat communism from our shores and banish it once and for all. America will never become a communist country,” he said.
President Trump has been making such points about democratic socialist interests over the past week, but he made his sharpest and longest-running assertion on the subject Friday, as Americans struggle with persistent inflation and high gas prices since the start of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran.
“In recent years, there has been a clear attempt to change this exceptional character, to break from us the American spirit, to distance us from our history, to make it impossible for us to even answer the question, ‘What does it mean to be an American?'” President Trump said.
President Trump, seated in the front row of the amphitheater with his family, described the country as an “exceptional country” and said no other country has done more good for the world. Donald Trump Jr. and his wife Bettina in red, Tiffany Trump and her husband Michael Vuolos in blue, and two of the president’s two sons.
This is the second time this national landmark has served as the backdrop for President Trump’s speech around Independence Day. He was there on July 4, 2020, the final year of his second term.
Before arriving at the landmark, President Trump took two high-flying flights before Air Force One touched down at Ellsworth Air Force Base to get a glimpse of the century-old national monument at high altitude.
The event was organized by Freedom 250, an organization that works with governments to organize commemorative events. Celebrations included fireworks, military bands, high-flying flights and military tributes.
Americans who showed up at Mount Rushmore for the celebration said they were proud and excited to be there in person.
“This is like a dream come true for us,” said Heather Cooper, who wore a red, white and blue hat.
Brian Hilton, who dressed up as George Washington for the performance, said, “Words are not enough to describe just the level of emotion, the depth, the depth of feeling, the patriotism.”
“It wasn’t easy to get tickets, so I’m really happy to be here,” said Fritz Klein, dressed as Abraham Lincoln, wearing a stovepipe top hat and bow tie.
For Carmen Schramm of Yankton, South Dakota, it was a “patriotic and reflective day.” Like many in the audience, she felt “so happy” wearing the sparkly red, white and blue outfit.
“When (the president) is talking about all the ingenuity and how far we’ve come, and you look out at the face of the monument right there lit up, it’s a great reminder of what’s been done for us and how far we’ve come.”
Contributor: Amanda Lee Myers; Reuters
