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250th, storms, and fireworks
President Donald Trump marked the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence with a speech on Saturday night at the National Mall in Washington, after severe weather forced evacuations and delays.
“Trump took to the stage at the National Mall around 11:15 p.m. ET”
Trump’s remarks came at about 11:15 p.m. ET, and NPR reported he lauded America’s history while praising his war in Iran, railing against "communists," and vowing to restrict mail-in ballots.
After the speech, a massive fireworks display lit up the sky, with NPR saying the White House billed it as the largest in the country’s history.
USA Today said Trump called the fireworks display "the largest in history," with more than 860,000 shells launched from 10 locations lasting about 40 minutes.
CBS News reported the National Mall was evacuated Saturday night for several hours due to thunderstorms, with thousands forced to evacuate to nearby federal buildings and museums before the area reopened.
Communism and voting fights
In his Independence Day address, Trump framed communism as an ideological threat and said, "You got to cut it out fast," while also warning that "America will never become a communist country."
NPR reported Trump likened communism to cancer that must be cut out and also alluded to voting reforms, vowing to pass the SAVE America Act, which is stalled in Congress.
USA Today said Trump urged Congress to pass legislation to require voter identification at polling places, proof of citizenship to register and an end to mail-in voting with exceptions for voters in the military, with health issues or who are traveling.
DW reported Trump promoted his SAVE America Act and support for the Second Amendment during the 250th celebrations, while also noting extreme heat and storms disrupted events and forced evacuations and cancellations.
Kurdistan24 said Trump used the anniversary address to blend patriotic commemoration with political messaging, including his declaration that "America was entering what he called a new "Golden Age"".
Iran claims and domestic stakes
Trump used the July 4 address to claim the United States had achieved "tremendous success" by destroying Iran’s armed forces, saying, "We destroyed them, destroyed their armed forces."
“"We destroyed them, destroyed their armed forces."”
Kyiv Post reported Trump also told the audience, "America will never become a communist country," and said the communist system was "the opposite of the American system."
NPR added that Trump referred to his own use of America’s military might, saying the U.S. had "sunk Iran's entire navy," since the war began in February.
NewsNation described Trump’s Mount Rushmore remarks as a call to protect freedoms against what he portrayed as the "communist" threat posed by progressive Democrats, saying, "We’re not going to let this happen."
CBS News reported heat-related strain during the "Salute to America" events, saying at least 51 people were treated for heat-related illnesses on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and 34 were transported to area hospitals.
