Washington, D.C.’s annual Independence Day parade has been called off after an intense heatwave disrupted President Trump’s Freedom 250 semi-quincentennial celebration in the capital.
The National Weather Service placed the District of Columbia under an Extreme Heat Warning as temperatures climbed to 102°F, with the heat index expected to reach a dangerous 110°F to 115°F.
According to The Wrap, organizers from the National Park Service and city officials made the last-minute call on Friday night to scrap the parade, which had been scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
“This decision was made after extensive and careful consideration of the safety of our participants, spectators, and staff as the top priority,” organizers confirmed, citing the unprecedented risks of parading under the oppressive conditions.
The cancellation marks the biggest setback so far for the administration’s highly promoted 250th anniversary festivities.
The problem had already become clear a day earlier, when the Great American State Fair on the National Mall was temporarily closed during the hottest part of the day as emergency responders dealt with heat-related cases.
D.C. Fire and EMS said it treated 44 people at the scene, with 11 of them later taken to hospital suffering from more serious conditions.
Organizers later said the fair and the FIFA Fan Zone would open later on Saturday, while additional cooling stations, water access, and medical support were expanded across the grounds.
Even with those changes, the triple-digit temperatures, intense humidity, and long waits in the sun are expected to keep attendance lower than organizers had hoped for.
That scene was a far cry from the huge crowds senior White House aides had predicted would pack the streets of the capital for the 250th birthday celebration.
Questions over the low turnout quickly turned political, with critics accusing the administration of trying to polish the optics of the event as weather warnings and medical incidents piled up.
Official White House-linked social media pages and campaign allies were criticized after sharing edited or recycled aerial shots online.
The Mirror US reported that online investigators and newsroom staff compared the images and found they were actually older archive photos from much larger events, including the 2018 March for Our Lives rally.
Opponents have argued that the effort to improve appearances came at the expense of focusing on public safety during an officially declared weather emergency.
Even with the parade canceled and other celebrations delayed, President Trump is still expected to deliver remarks later on Saturday evening.
The planned fireworks display on the National Mall is still expected to go ahead, though officials have warned the schedule may shift depending on the heat and the pace of the evening program.