Donald Trump used a delayed July 4 address to reflect on 250 years of American independence, while also delivering a striking statement that is likely to divide opinion.
Celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of US independence took place on Saturday, July 4, with Trump centering part of the occasion around his ‘Freedom250’ initiative.
Large crowds gathered near the Lincoln Memorial and the Potomac River for the event, which was paired with a record-setting fireworks display that reportedly featured 850,000 shells over 40 minutes.
But the spectacle in the sky was not the only dramatic moment of the day. During his remarks, Trump made an expansive claim about America’s place in the world and spoke about what he described as a dangerous ideology that must be eliminated.
His speech began almost two hours behind schedule after thunderstorms and extreme heat disrupted the event, and once he took the stage, he quickly made clear how he views the US in comparison with other nations.
Addressing a crowd on the National Mall, Trump said:
“For 250 years, the United States of America has been the hope, the promise, the light, and the glory among all of the nations of the world, all over the world.”
He then argued that other countries look to the US as an example.
“They try and be like us. Nobody can be like us.”
Trump also turned to communism during the speech.
“America will never be a communist country — won’t happen,” he went on to add, calling Communism ‘a loser’.
He continued by referencing past conflicts and warning against the ideology gaining traction in the US.
“Our warriors did not fight communism on battlefields across the world, only to have that menace rear its ugly head right back here in America. We’re not going to let it happen,” Trump continued.”
Later in the address, Trump returned to the subject and used even stronger language to describe it.
“You got to cut it out, you got to cut it out fast.”
From there, he shifted back to describing America’s values and the freedoms he believes distinguish the country from much of the rest of the world.
“Unlike so many others in the world, in this country we have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, equal justice under the law. Although I wasn’t treated that well, but we won’t get into that,” Trump said.
He closed by speaking about what he called the next chapter for the nation and his hopes for its future.
“This is only the dawn of the Golden Age of America, and on this 250th Fourth of July, we declare, just as they did two and a half centuries ago, that for our country, for our children, for the cause of liberty, we are going to take our country to new levels, to levels not reached.
“We’re going to make it bigger, better, stronger, and we’re going to love it even more. And I just want to thank you … and I want to thank everybody, and we love you all, and it’s an honor to be your president,” he concluded.