Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
US President Donald Trump marked the 250th anniversary of American independence on Friday with a speech at Mount Rushmore that began with praise for American exceptionalism before turning sharply political, as he warned of a communist threat. Elsewhere, a severe heat wave disrupted some holiday events and added to the strain on celebrations across the country.
The holiday also unfolded against a backdrop of political polarisation, with contrasting messages from public leaders and mixed views from Americans preparing for fireworks, parades and public gatherings. In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivered his own address, while organisers in Washington pressed ahead with major events despite delays and cancellations.
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Speaking at Mount Rushmore, Trump said, “Communism is a mortal threat to American liberty.” He added, “It is the greatest threat to our country, including World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor or even 9/11.” The remarks were similar to speeches he has given in recent days, but stood out because they were delivered in a national park honouring some of America’s most prominent presidents.
The speech also departed from the largely apolitical and unifying tone used by presidents such as Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan during earlier Independence Day events. Its language recalled the Red Scare of the 1950s, when alleged communists were persecuted and blacklisted from jobs across the US, from Washington to Hollywood.
In New York City, Mamdani, a democratic socialist, delivered his own address and described America as a nation of contradictions “working each day towards the perfection in which it was conceived”. Without naming Trump, he said, “For generation after generation, we have been told that when the world has sent its people to our shores, it has not sent its best.” He added, “Those ideals upon which our nation was built — they are strong enough to endure any authoritarian regime, but only if we reach for them.”
Trump’s speech came at the end of a holiday eve marked elsewhere by a severe heat wave across much of the eastern US. Officials advised people to stay hydrated and take breaks in air-conditioned places. Philadelphia cancelled its Salute to Independence parade on Friday, while The Great American State Fair in Washington shut early before reopening at 5 pm. The Capitol Fourth concert in Washington opened its gates later than usual but went ahead with appearances by Patti LaBelle, Trace Adkins and members of the Artemis II space mission, followed by fireworks over George Washington’s Mount Vernon. An Independence Day parade planned for Saturday in Washington was cancelled.
By early Friday afternoon in Washington, hundreds of people were walking around the National Mall, where The Great American State Fair was being held. Many took pictures of aircraft flyovers and tried to cool down inside tents selling USD 9 lemonades and USD 23 turkey legs. Many wore patriotic colours, with sweat visible on their faces. Glenn Brooks, who was pardoned by Trump for taking part in the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, said he was “thankful to be participating in this grand event.”
The celebrations are due to build further on Saturday, with fireworks, backyard cookouts and block parties planned across the country. Trump is also scheduled to speak again at the National Mall ahead of what organisers have billed as a historically massive fireworks show.
While much of the country struggled with the heat, the Pacific Northwest had temperatures in the 60s, along with light showers in some places. In Seattle, World Cup football fans were staying cool as they looked ahead to Monday’s match between the US and Belgium. In nearby Issaquah, Megan Kurowski, 31, took her two dogs to a dog park before work and said she felt positive about the anniversary. “Everyone’s just, from what it seems, been pretty excited about celebrating 250 years,” she said, adding that she might go paddleboarding to watch the fireworks.
The anniversary is unfolding at a time when it is prompting reflection on US history while also underlining the country’s political polarisation. Freedom 250, a group aligned with the White House, has emerged as a rival to America250, the bipartisan organisation created by Congress a decade ago. Freedom 250 has organised much of the activity in Washington, including The Great American State Fair, while America250 is behind the ball drops taking place in several cities, including New York, and is hosting a concert in Los Angeles on Saturday.
According to an April survey by The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research, about four in 10 US adults said they felt “proud” about the country’s 250th anniversary, while roughly three in 10 said they felt “excited”.
In Topeka, Kansas, auto technician Joe Fuqua-Bejarano said the country’s strength lay not in politics, but in resilience. “We’ve just all got to find unity somewhere, whether that’s in laughter or perseverance, and keep everybody cool,” he said from a fireworks stand where he was doing brisk business as a side job. Christina Zhou, 25, a research assistant from Cambridge, Massachusetts, said she would try to “think about just things that are happening locally” because “It feels a little bit more like within our own personal control.”
Jerry Chin of Newcastle, Washington, said he did not know the US was marking its 250th anniversary and planned to keep the holiday low-key. He and his wife usually skip fireworks and stay home with their dogs, which get frightened by the noise. “America’s a great place, but there are some concerns,” he said. Chin, 55, said he and his wife worry about healthcare, staying healthy and politics. “We’re Democrats, so kind of given up hope,” he said. “Just feel that it is the way it is. I don’t know if there could be change.”
At the National Archives in Washington, visitors moved through the Rotunda to see the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, while also escaping the heat outside. Michael Dresdner, 60, who travelled from West Orange, New Jersey, with his wife, Cindi, 57, and about two dozen others for the America 250 celebrations, said their group included people from both sides of the political divide, and that this gave him hope for the future of American democracy. “We are all here, and we all love America,” he said.
As the US moved towards its main Independence Day events, the anniversary brought together high-profile speeches, public celebrations, heat-related disruption and clear political differences. From Mount Rushmore and the National Mall to New York and other cities, the day reflected both the scale of the national occasion and the divisions surrounding it.
With PTI Inputs
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
