President Donald Trump marks the start of the United States’ 250th birthday celebrations with a speech at Mount Rushmore on Friday. Multiple outlets report that his remarks take place at the South Dakota monument, setting the tone for a broader weekend of events commemorating the anniversary. Coverage also notes that the Mount Rushmore remarks are followed by a fireworks display.
The reporting describes the Mount Rushmore stop as part of the lead-up to a major ceremony in Washington on Saturday night. Several sources say Trump will address a crowd on the National Mall on Saturday, ahead of a large fireworks show associated with the celebrations.
France 24 adds that in his Mount Rushmore speech Trump calls on Americans to protect the freedoms he links to the nation’s founders, and he frames progressive Democrats as posing a threat, using the term “communist.” Other outlets focus more on the schedule and setting of the events than on specific policy themes.
Overall, sources align on the dates, the location of the opening remarks, and the follow-on fireworks and Washington program for the Independence Day weekend.
