This year marks the 250th anniversary of America’s independence, and the celebrations culminate on July 4th. In a late-night speech on the National Mall in Washington, US President Donald Trump praised the achievements and resilience of the United States while making strongly partisan remarks. He declared that the 250th anniversary of the declaration of independence was“Merely the dawn of America’s golden age” and that“The best is yet to come”. But apart from the heat and storms that plagued the celebrations, the political divisions were more thought-provoking. The Associated Press said this year’s celebrations took place against a backdrop of an old and deepening divide in society, over everything from political expression to cultural norms, long-running disputes over race, class and immigration.
On the 4th, a storm hit Washington. Americans waiting for Independence Day celebrations had to take shelter in buildings near the National Mall.
A storm hits Washington
Extreme weather has disrupted fourth of July celebrations in many parts of the US. Large parts of the eastern United States have been hit by extreme heat, with temperatures in many places approaching or even exceeding 37.8 degrees Celsius, the Associated Press reported. Celebrations that had been planned for months had to be rescheduled or cancelled. The Independence Day parade in Washington, D.C. , which was to have taken place Sunday morning, was cancelled. At 3 p.m. Thursday, the temperature in Washington reached 39 degrees Celsius, and the body temperature was even higher. A white woman suffering from heat stroke was escorted to the National Mall by staff to rest, according to a global times reporter.
On the 4th, Washington was also hit by a storm. Tens of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall for the ceremony were evacuated around 7 pm, many people waiting in the heat for hours into the surrounding museums, subway stations and federal buildings to take refuge. After the storm, they had to wait in long lines to re-enter the mall. In addition, the air show that night was canceled.
Trump appeared on the National Mall at about 11:15 P. M. Friday to deliver a speech after the event was delayed by about two hours due to the storm. According to U. S. Media reports, he reviewed the history of the United States in his speech, praised the country’s achievements, such as landing on the Moon, the Wright brothers pioneering flight. He also referred to us military actions against Venezuela and Iran this year, claiming that the US had“Destroyed” Iranian military forces and playing up the“Communist threat” to the US. Some media reports said Trump had repeatedly called left-wing Democratic primary candidates“Communists” in the past, a remark that some interpreted as an attack on Democrats ahead of the midterm elections.
Prior to Trump, US presidents didn’t usually go to the National Mall to attend the Independence Day celebrations and deliver a live speech, according to CNN.
Far-right groups chant ‘take back America’
French Radio International said that U. S. presidents have generally avoided the“Independence Day” official celebration into a personal political events. But Trump’s arrangements this year have broken with that practice, further blurring the line between national commemorations and personal political campaigning.
A day earlier, in a speech on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, Trump called on Americans to defend the freedoms championed by the Founding Fathers 250 years ago, he described some Democrats as an existential threat to the US and played the“Anti-immigration card”. And just a few hours before his speech, New York Mayor Mahmudani, a Democrat, gave a speech in support of immigration, the move was widely seen as an attack on Trump and his campaign to make America great again.
Partisan battles have already begun over who will host the celebrations. According to U. S. Media reports, the U. S. Congress was established 10 years ago, a cross-party organization“The United States 250th anniversary”, responsible for planning national and local celebrations. But after Trump’s second term as president, his administration announced Freedom 250 as the only official preparatory body responsible for planning national and local celebrations. During the Independence Day celebrations, the group hosted the Great American state fair on the National Mall. Several democratic states refused to send delegations to the event because of its political overtones, and some entertainers refused to participate for fear it would be partisan.
There have been demonstrations by far-right groups in Washington. Hundreds of members of the white supremacy group“Patriotic Front” marched through the United States Capitol and Union Station in Washington Thursday morning, the Washington Post reported. Dressed in matching masks, they beat drums and waved flags such as the Confederate flag as they chanted“Take Back America”. John Cohen, a former employee of the United States Department of Homeland Security, told Reuters that the group chose to publicly demonstrate during national holidays such as“Independence Day.” It highlights the serious challenges facing the United States on the issue of white supremacy.
US media: are there any principles in this country that bind people together?
In decades past, Independence Day was all about getting people together to enjoy the fireworks, putting aside partisan differences and finding common ground while celebrating the birth of the nation, the Detroit News reported. But in the 250th anniversary decade, things have changed. People despised each other and laughed at those who disagreed with them. Many are reluctant to talk about the fractious political climate. Political scientists say the last time the United States was so deeply divided was during the civil war. Many people in Michigan say the country should stop fighting and focus on the problems that need to be solved.
“Happy Birthday, America? On the 250th anniversary of independence, this country may be too divided to celebrate,” the Des Moines Register reported, barkis County, Pennsylvania, a swing state that used to be a political fringe, is now a microcosm of ‘s cultural and partisan divisions. Residents interviewed by the media said that while the theme of Independence Day was traditionally about national identity and shared history, it had done little to allay concerns about social divisions at the local and national levels. Many are pondering questions that touch on the core of what it means to be an American: Is there any unifying principle in this country? Or have voters become so divided by partisanship that they have put partisanship ahead of patriotism?
“Today, political opponents are really seen as enemies. Before, political opponents were just political opponents,” American historian James Robenault told the Guardian, “It feels as if people don’t know where the country is going. There is a circus atmosphere about the country.”
A Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that two-fifths of Americans do not believe the country will last another 250 years. According to a Quinnipiac University poll, 61 percent of Americans believe the United States has failed to live up to the ideals set out in the 1776 declaration of Independence.