WASHINGTON -- The U.S. rang in its 250th birthday in the nation's capital Saturday with record-setting heat, thunderstorms, an enormous fireworks display and a speech from President Trump that emphasized American exceptionalism.
"For 250 years, the United States has been the hope, the promise, the light and the glory among all of the nations in the world; all over the world, nobody can be like us," Trump said Saturday night.
Earlier, thousands of attendees were instructed by law enforcement to evacuate the National Mall because of the threat of severe weather. They had waited in line for hours to attend the Great American State Fair and the evening Salute to America, in the midst of the hottest Fourth of July the capital has experienced.
Hundreds of people took refuge in nearby museums and federal buildings. The National Mall was later reopened, and attendees funneled back into the secure area where Saturday night's festivities took place.
Trump took the stage shortly after 11 p.m., more than an hour after he was scheduled to begin speaking. "American strength and power is not something to be ashamed of, it is something that we are very proud of," Trump said.
Trump began the weekend at Mount Rushmore, with a speech Friday in which he argued that American identity is under a renewed attack and decried communism entering America, a nod at recent victories in primary elections by candidates from the Democratic Socialists of America.
During his roughly 40-minute speech, Trump honored veterans and Gold Star families, and he brought to the stage astronauts from the Artemis II mission. He featured flags from American history, including one of the very first U.S. flags ever made; the flag that draped across Abraham Lincoln's casket; and one pulled from the sunken USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor.
"The best is yet to come," he said, adding, "This is only the dawn of the golden age of America."
Temperatures hit over 100 degrees Fahrenheit earlier Saturday, and some exhausted and dehydrated people were seen passing out. National Guard members distributed water. As military aircraft staged flyovers, members of the Army and Navy parachute teams jumped with giant U.S. flags over the Mall.
Kara Clark, 62 years old, traveled to Washington from Tampa, Fla., for the holiday. She said she has enjoyed the week's festivities, although she found the logistics regarding Saturday's events confusing. Standing in line in triple-digit heat for 2 1/2 hours, she said it was worth it to celebrate the country.
"As long as we all have enough water, ice and conversation, we can do it, " she said.
Earlier, in the midst of the celebrations, masked people in gear associated with the white nationalist group Patriot Front rode the Metro and marched in front of Union Station, with some carrying Confederate flags.
A fireworks display featuring more than 850,000 fireworks began after Trump's remarks. The fireworks were set to last about twice the length of a traditional Fourth of July fireworks show on the National Mall, according to the event organizer Freedom 250.
The 47th president's impact on the city for its semiquincentennial is on display. Since Trump took office for a second time, he has embarked on a far-reaching series of renovations and efforts to clean up fountains, statues and memorials. His roughly $16 million restoration of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool became a national news story when algae blooms clouded the water and pieces of the pool's new coating floated to the surface.
Congress created a bipartisan commission in 2016 known as America250 to plan for the anniversary. But Trump's allies created a separate group, called Freedom 250, which had taken over much of the planning for the celebration. Some said the Trump-aligned group put conservative priorities at the center of the event, adding a partisan sheen to the festivities. Freedom 250 has said it created a party for all Americans.
Because of the record-setting fireworks, Freedom 250 advised Washington residents to "follow best practices to reduce indoor air quality concerns," such as keeping windows closed, using air purifiers with HEPA filters and turning on air conditioning to circulate air.
Past presidents have issued statements on Independence Day, but few have given speeches on the National Mall. In the country's bicentennial celebration in 1976, President Gerald Ford delivered a formal address in Philadelphia. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan spoke at New York Harbor before a fireworks display.
In 2019, Trump delivered an address at the Lincoln Memorial on July Fourth in a "Salute to America" celebration. His speech at the time praised the military, including the statement that the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War "manned the air, it rammed the ramparts, it took over the airports" -- long before airplanes were invented. The president later blamed a teleprompter glitch.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires