Trump delivers campaign-style July 4 speech to mark US 250th anniversary

President Donald Trump marked the 250th anniversary of the United States on Saturday with a campaign-style speech that repeated his calls for new voting restrictions, warned that “communists” could gain ground in the country and cycled through what he touted ‌as his achievements.

After a storm-related delay of nearly two hours, Trump appeared on the National Mall in Washington to deliver a speech that mixed broad appeals to patriotism with pointed attacks on perceived ideological threats at home and abroad.

Trump lauded American achievements such as war victories, the lunar landing and the Wright brothers’ pioneering flight, as well as the U.S. system of government in general.

But he also urged Congress to pass stalled legislation that would limit mail ballots and require proof of citizenship to register to vote, and cautioned against a rise of communism in the United States.

Before Trump, presidents generally avoided in-person appearances at July 4 celebrations, but he has blurred the line between official commemoration and campaign-style politics. Aside from a similar address that Trump gave in 2019, no U.S. president has delivered a July 4 speech on the Mall since 1951.

Visitors had waited hours to get into the event, contending with stepped-up security and temperatures that reached 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius). The record-breaking heat wave forced the cancellation of several parades and other events in the area.

Authorities ordered an evacuation when a line of thunderstorms approached, forcing spectators to shelter in nearby museums and government buildings before they were allowed to return.

Trump had said this week he would “make a really long speech” for Saturday’s rally “just to show that I can do anything.” Instead, it lasted less than 40 minutes, far shorter than many of his past speeches.

Several Democratic-led states declined to send delegations, and many performers scheduled to appear dropped out, citing ⁠concerns about partisanship. Trump opened the event with a rally on June 24. –Reuters

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