President Donald Trump delivered a delayed Fourth of July address from the National Mall on Saturday, celebrating the 250th anniversary of America's independence while also using the occasion to promote key political priorities and criticize communism.

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The speech began at about 11:15 p.m., around 75 minutes later than scheduled, after thunderstorms forced organizers to suspend the event and evacuate crowds from the National Mall.

Weather Delays Independence Day Event

The "Salute to America 250 Celebration & Fireworks" was originally due to begin at 7 p.m. but did not get underway until 10:45 p.m. because of severe weather in Washington, D.C.

Many attendees had waited for hours in record-breaking heat before thunderstorms prompted officials to clear the area. The preliminary high temperature reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit, making it the hottest July 4 on record in the U.S. capital, surpassing the previous record of 100 degrees set in 1919.

Local authorities said 12 people were taken to hospital by 8 p.m. because of heat-related illnesses.

Trump thanked those who returned after the evacuation, saying they had acted appropriately when lightning approached and praising their patience.

Patriotic Ceremony and Political Message

In his remarks, Trump honored the nation's founders and those who fought for American independence.

"Tonight we pledge allegiance to the flag they gave us, and we say, God bless the immortal patriots of 1776. And long live the cause of independence," he said.

Historic American flags were displayed behind the president, including an original 1777 flag and the flag that draped the coffin of President Abraham Lincoln. Veterans and Medal of Honor recipients from several U.S. conflicts joined Trump on stage at various points to salute the flags.

The event concluded with a military flyover and a large fireworks display.

Focus on Current Politics

Alongside the patriotic themes, Trump repeatedly turned to contemporary political issues. He promoted his proposed SAVE America Act, which would significantly change the administration of U.S. elections ahead of the midterm elections, and repeatedly criticized communism during the speech.

Trump also said he had insisted on delivering the address on Independence Day despite suggestions that it could be postponed because of the weather.

Most scheduled musical performances were cancelled because of the delayed start.

Approval Ratings Remain Mixed

The speech came as Trump's administration continues to face criticism over domestic and foreign policy issues.

A June Quinnipiac poll found that 38% of voters approved of Trump's job performance, while 55% disapproved. That marked a slight improvement from May, when 34% approved and 58% disapproved.

The survey also found that majorities of voters disapproved of Trump's handling of immigration, the economy, foreign policy and the ongoing conflict involving Iran.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 5 July 2026

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Trump Mixes Patriotism and Politics in July 4 Speech

Trump Mixes Patriotism, Politics, and Propaganda in July 4 Speech.

There - fixed it!

"...The speech began at about 11:15 p.m., around 75 minutes later than scheduled, after thunderstorms forced organizers to suspend the event and evacuate crowds from the National Mall..."

Letting Trump know who the "Devine One" really is! 🌩️

The founding fathers are rolling in their graves. Trump the coward represents everything they abhorred.

He makes Nixon look trustworthy and George W. look smart and articulate. In fact, if Frankenstein decided to make a monster assembled entirely from human flaws - he would make a Trump. And a remorseful Doctor Frankenstein would clutch out big clumpfuls of hair and scream in anguish: 'My God… what… have… I… created?

Unappealing, unattractive, idiotic, incompetent, hateful, hurtful, abrasive, rude, blowhard, liar, cheater, thief, infantile, failure, loser, fraud, sexual abuser, likely serial statutory rapist, incestuous, tax cheat, insurrectionist, un-American, dictator-loving dictator wannabe, out of control, sociopathic, convicted felon, toxic narcissist & brutish A-hole.

“I just can’t imagine two human beings who are more dissimilar than George Washington and Donald Trump,” Ron Chernow, the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer of our first president, told me, on the occasion of the 250th birthday party for America that Trump has hijacked.

“Washington was discreet, reserved, courteous — he avoided any kind of show or ostentation or self-promotion,” Chernow said. “With Donald Trump, it’s nonstop bragging and boasting and self-promotion that would have been, I think, completely alien to George Washington, and very much counter to his idea of the way that a public servant should behave.”

The hero who commanded the Continental Army was protective of the nascent democracy, realizing its fragility. Cadet Bone Spurs maliciously erodes it, seeing it as a hindrance to his lust for untrammeled power and cash grabs.

Washington was beloved by many for giving away power he could have kept. Trump is reviled by many for snatching power he isn’t entitled to. One was methodical and judicious, hoping to consult with the Senate more than the Senate even wanted him to. The other is driven by whims, co-opting legislative powers on tariffs and war. Washington actively avoided, as president, interfering in congressional races. Trump meddles in primaries to exact revenge and test fealty.

One famously wouldn’t tell a lie. The other famously can’t stop telling lies.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/04/opinion/founding-father-vs-foundering-toddler.html?smid=nytcore-android-share

Trump Didn’t Bring Jobs Back — He Drove Customers Away

Trump sold himself as the guy who would bring jobs back to America.

What he’s actually done is push entire markets to build alternatives.

Europe isn’t just cancelling subscriptions.

It’s funding competitors.

Domestic cloud platforms.

European communication tools.

Sovereign data infrastructure.

Trump didn’t weaken Microsoft and Google with regulation.

He did it with recklessness.

Through sheer incompetence, the goon has achieved what China and Russia have been trying to do for years: fracture American technological dominance. And the irony?

U.S. tech companies are now begging Europe to stay — quietly assuring governments that they’re “independent” from Washington.

That’s not strength.

That’s damage control.

Our Adversaries Are Delighted

While American companies scramble, China and Russia are watching this unfold like Christmas morning.

No cyberattack.

No sanctions.

No espionage.

Just the U.S. torching its own credibility.

When Europe builds its own digital ecosystem, American leverage shrinks — economically, politically, and strategically. Influence isn’t just aircraft carriers anymore. It’s standards, platforms, and trust.

Trump is dismantling all three.

The Part Americans Don’t Want to Hear?

Seventy-five million Americans looked at this man — the chaos, the threats, the ignorance — and voted for it. Twice.

Not by accident.

Not unknowingly.

You wanted to “own the libs.”

Instead, you owned American companies out of billions, handed markets to competitors, and convinced allies that dependence on the U.S. is dangerous.

You didn’t stick it to Europe.

Europe walked away.

This Is the Real Cost of Trumpism

Not just rhetoric.

Not just embarrassment.

Structural, long-term economic damage.

France isn’t flipping America off.

It’s doing something far colder and more rational:

Planning for a future without the US? Honestly? Trump didn’t deserve loyalty.

American tech didn’t deserve this.

Independence Day- for this?

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Trump Didn’t Bring Jobs Back — He Drove Customers Away

Trump sold himself as the guy who would bring jobs back to America.

What he’s actually done is push entire markets to build alternatives.

Europe isn’t just cancelling subscriptions.

It’s funding competitors.

Domestic cloud platforms.

European communication tools.

Sovereign data infrastructure.

Trump didn’t weaken Microsoft and Google with regulation.

He did it with recklessness.

Through sheer incompetence, the goon has achieved what China and Russia have been trying to do for years: fracture American technological dominance. And the irony?

U.S. tech companies are now begging Europe to stay — quietly assuring governments that they’re “independent” from Washington.

That’s not strength.

That’s damage control.

Our Adversaries Are Delighted

While American companies scramble, China and Russia are watching this unfold like Christmas morning.

No cyberattack.

No sanctions.

No espionage.

Just the U.S. torching its own credibility.

When Europe builds its own digital ecosystem, American leverage shrinks — economically, politically, and strategically. Influence isn’t just aircraft carriers anymore. It’s standards, platforms, and trust.

Trump is dismantling all three.

The Part Americans Don’t Want to Hear?

Seventy-five million Americans looked at this man — the chaos, the threats, the ignorance — and voted for it. Twice.

Not by accident.

Not unknowingly.

You wanted to “own the libs.”

Instead, you owned American companies out of billions, handed markets to competitors, and convinced allies that dependence on the U.S. is dangerous.

You didn’t stick it to Europe.

Europe walked away.

This Is the Real Cost of Trumpism

Not just rhetoric.

Not just embarrassment.

Structural, long-term economic damage.

France isn’t flipping America off.

It’s doing something far colder and more rational:

Planning for a future without the US? Honestly? Trump didn’t deserve loyalty.

American tech didn’t deserve this.

Independence Day- for this?

It's a bit unusual to "read" (cast a glance down) such boiling spewing hatred outside the confines of a mental home.

Someone should take care of this poor gentleman and inform him that blaming all the sins of the world on just one man is a sign of imbalance, to say the least.

"Trump Mixes Patriotism and Politics in July 4 Speech"

Donald Trump's interpretation of patriotism, and it's historical significance, like his politics, are of course peculiar to him and his regime.

As an observer it appears that both have little in common with the ideals and intentions of those who founded the American Republic, and who drafted it's Constitution.

22 hours ago, webfact said:

President Donald Trump delivered a delayed Fourth of July address from the National Mall on Saturday, celebrating the 250th anniversary of America's independence while also using the occasion to promote key political priorities and criticize communism.

Surprise surprise!!!

Bet you didn't expect that diddja?

In the USA if you want to deflect blame you play the Communism card. Same as the race card. He is trying to save the midterms. At all costs.

58 minutes ago, Leopold Bloom said:

It's a bit unusual to "read" (cast a glance down) such boiling spewing hatred outside the confines of a mental home.

Someone should take care of this poor gentleman and inform him that blaming all the sins of the world on just one man is a sign of imbalance, to say the least.

It's a calm, cold and reasoned summing up of the boiling, spewing hatred that 77 million (this time round) idiots, dopes and evil doers, knowingly and voluntarily, despite all his proclivities being publicly documented, elected into the White House. And what's even worse, who are so ignorant and morally degenerate they still support the fraudulent, sex offender felon corruptoid to this very day.

We Europeans are turning away. It's clear that we have even less in common with the US than even we'd imagined. And do long term prefer to have as little to do with you as possible, like with Russia and China.

Well done! From pole position after the fall of the Iron Curtain, to reject of the free world who are coalescing into alliances that will protect our freedoms, civilization and democracies, flawed as they may be, from the war-mongering, planetary rapist hegemony the US has now become.

Trump is actually but a symptom. And my god what an awful disease that is. We have to quarantine ourselves from you.

As Ken Burns pointed out in an interview on Meet the Press, the Founders would likely be disappointed that the Legislative Branch, under the Republicans, has abrogated their responsibility. Article 1 from the Founders is about the Legislature, as they knew full well the propensity of single men to seize as much power and control as allowed. The Founders knew monarchs, and for the first time in human history, they tried to establish a system where no single individual had total control or power.

Luckily there are still members of the Judiciary who know their role and try to put limits on what Trump tries to do. Of course we see the DoJ ignoring court orders, trying to act as if there are no checks and balances in the system.

Sadly the Republican Congress is more like a North Korean applauding seal squad than an entity ostensibly sharing power with the Executive and Judiciary.

The Founders did anticipate a Trump cult could come along. Alexander Hamilton wrote:

"When a man unprincipled in private life, desperate in his fortune, bold in his temper, possessed of considerable talents, despotic in his ordinary demeanor---known to have scoffed in private at the principles of liberty---when such a man is seen to mount the hobby horse of popularity---to join in the cry of danger to liberty---to take every opportunity of embarrassing the General Government and bringing it under suspicion---to flatter and fall in with all the nonsense of the zealots of the day---it may justly be suspected that his object is to throw things into confusion that he may ‘ride the storm and direct the whirlwind’”   

Fascist leader do fascist speech.

Ain’t surprise. Inflammatory speeches and propaganda to divide the country by creating extreme anger and fear. Blame minority groups, political rivals, and trading partners for the country's economic struggles. This caused division and fellow citizens to turn against each other which he exploit to stay in power and to grift

There are exactly five countries governed by Marxist-Leninist, single-party communist systems:

China*

Cuba

Laos

North Korea

Vietnam*

Guess he must be talking about Laos, Cuba and North Korea anyone who doesn't vote for him is a godless commie leftist Jew!!!1!1!

Who knew <deleted>ler hated Democracy? 😭

*China: The Trump Organization has had business ties in China, including trademarks and a bank account with a Chinese state-owned bank during the 2010s

*Vietnam: The Trump Organization has pursued and partnered on real estate and golf development projects in Vietnam (e.g., luxury golf resort deals announced with local developers).

9 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

This caused division and fellow citizens to turn against each other which he exploit to stay in power and to grift

So now that you figured out the con job, why don't you just NOT turn against your fellow citizens?

14 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

So now that you figured out the con job, why don't you just NOT turn against your fellow citizens?

Institutions distrust for fair justice and adequately informed that this is a con to agitate the majority to justify emergency power. We don’t fall for such cheap tricks unlike the gullible cultists.

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Trump Didn’t Bring Jobs Back — He Drove Customers Away

Trump sold himself as the guy who would bring jobs back to America.

What he’s actually done is push entire markets to build alternatives.

Europe isn’t just cancelling subscriptions.

It’s funding competitors.

Domestic cloud platforms.

European communication tools.

Sovereign data infrastructure.

Trump didn’t weaken Microsoft and Google with regulation.

He did it with recklessness.

Through sheer incompetence, the goon has achieved what China and Russia have been trying to do for years: fracture American technological dominance. And the irony?

U.S. tech companies are now begging Europe to stay — quietly assuring governments that they’re “independent” from Washington.

That’s not strength.

That’s damage control.

Our Adversaries Are Delighted

While American companies scramble, China and Russia are watching this unfold like Christmas morning.

No cyberattack.

No sanctions.

No espionage.

Just the U.S. torching its own credibility.

When Europe builds its own digital ecosystem, American leverage shrinks — economically, politically, and strategically. Influence isn’t just aircraft carriers anymore. It’s standards, platforms, and trust.

Trump is dismantling all three.

The Part Americans Don’t Want to Hear?

Seventy-five million Americans looked at this man — the chaos, the threats, the ignorance — and voted for it. Twice.

Not by accident.

Not unknowingly.

You wanted to “own the libs.”

Instead, you owned American companies out of billions, handed markets to competitors, and convinced allies that dependence on the U.S. is dangerous.

You didn’t stick it to Europe.

Europe walked away.

This Is the Real Cost of Trumpism

Not just rhetoric.

Not just embarrassment.

Structural, long-term economic damage.

France isn’t flipping America off.

It’s doing something far colder and more rational:

Planning for a future without the US? Honestly? Trump didn’t deserve loyalty.

American tech didn’t deserve this.

Independence Day- for this?

However do you get through the day with your panties so comprehensively and permanently bunched up? I mean seriously...the amount of stomach acid you generate could give an ulcer to a billy goat.

Just one day in the year, relax and enjoy the benefits of being a citizen of the United States. Have a beer, watch the fireworks, barbecue some burgers for the kids.

How could you disagree with this message:

The war for independence was launched by minutemen, farmers, blacksmiths, tradesmen who took up their muskets against the mightiest army on earth, the most powerful army, and unbeatable army. Until they met us. No one made them do it. They fought because they knew that a free people must have a free country. Over 250 years, the mighty nations and terrible tyrants , they came and they went. After us they came and they went. But after two and a half centuries, this American republic still stands tall and strong. And we love each other.

10 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Institutions distrust for fair justice and adequately informed that this is a con to agitate the majority to justify emergency power. We don’t fall for such cheap tricks unlike the gullible cultists.

interesting quote from samuel adams

7 minutes ago, Hanaguma said:

However do you get through the day with your panties so comprehensively and permanently bunched up? I mean seriously...the amount of stomach acid you generate could give an ulcer to a billy goat.

Just one day in the year, relax and enjoy the benefits of being a citizen of the United States. Have a beer, watch the fireworks, barbecue some burgers for the kids.

How could you disagree with this message:

The war for independence was launched by minutemen, farmers, blacksmiths, tradesmen who took up their muskets against the mightiest army on earth, the most powerful army, and unbeatable army. Until they met us. No one made them do it. They fought because they knew that a free people must have a free country. Over 250 years, the mighty nations and terrible tyrants , they came and they went. After us they came and they went. But after two and a half centuries, this American republic still stands tall and strong. And we love each other.

I applaud your aspirational inclusion. But how can you inspire fellow citizens to stand together when the leader of the country frequently use the phrase “ the enemy from within” to describe domestic opponents and they are a greater threat than traditional foreign adversaries.

2 hours ago, Leopold Bloom said:

It's a bit unusual to "read" (cast a glance down) such boiling spewing hatred outside the confines of a mental home.

Someone should take care of this poor gentleman and inform him that blaming all the sins of the world on just one man is a sign of imbalance, to say the least.

You mean like Trump blaming Biden or Obama for all of his failures? Attacking a poster instead of the post makes you look petty.

1 hour ago, BusyB said:

It's a calm, cold and reasoned summing up of the boiling, spewing hatred that 77 million (this time round) idiots, dopes and evil doers, knowingly and voluntarily, despite all his proclivities being publicly documented, elected into the White House. And what's even worse, who are so ignorant and morally degenerate they still support the fraudulent, sex offender felon corruptoid to this very day.

We Europeans are turning away. It's clear that we have even less in common with the US than even we'd imagined. And do long term prefer to have as little to do with you as possible, like with Russia and China.

Well done! From pole position after the fall of the Iron Curtain, to reject of the free world who are coalescing into alliances that will protect our freedoms, civilization and democracies, flawed as they may be, from the war-mongering, planetary rapist hegemony the US has now become.

Trump is actually but a symptom. And my god what an awful disease that is. We have to quarantine ourselves from you.

The problem is that the far right propaganda is playing far too well in Europe with the likes of Pen and Farage. Do not fall for the lies. ON as well.

13 minutes ago, cjinchiangrai said:

The problem is that the far right propaganda is playing far too well in Europe with the likes of Pan and Farage. Do not fall for the lies. ON as well.

The far right doesn't even get a majority in Greece ;D

The AfD will never get 51% of the national German vote. Wherever these parties get some modicum of power they don't last long anyway, because besides their venality and dishonesty, their incompetence and low intelligence quickly has them making a pig's ear of everything.

Europeans are generally more politically astute than the yanks.

25 minutes ago, BusyB said:

The far right doesn't even get a majority in Greece ;D

The AfD will never get 51% of the national German vote. Wherever these parties get some modicum of power they don't last long anyway, because besides their venality and dishonesty, their incompetence and low intelligence quickly has them making a pig's ear of everything.

Europeans are generally more politically astute than the yanks.

They generally have a better turnout as well. 1/3 of US voters do not vote. If they did, Trump would be in a New York prison and would never have been president. Australia makes voting mandatory, I like the idea.

Judging by the truly dismal turnout to Trump's great state fair on the National Mall, even his ardent supporters are getting tired of the circus clown and his truly ridiculous, rambling, incoherent speeches. Boring!

1 hour ago, Hanaguma said:

However do you get through the day with your panties so comprehensively and permanently bunched up? I mean seriously...the amount of stomach acid you generate could give an ulcer to a billy goat.

Just one day in the year, relax and enjoy the benefits of being a citizen of the United States. Have a beer, watch the fireworks, barbecue some burgers for the kids.

How could you disagree with this message:

The war for independence was launched by minutemen, farmers, blacksmiths, tradesmen who took up their muskets against the mightiest army on earth, the most powerful army, and unbeatable army. Until they met us. No one made them do it. They fought because they knew that a free people must have a free country. Over 250 years, the mighty nations and terrible tyrants , they came and they went. After us they came and they went. But after two and a half centuries, this American republic still stands tall and strong. And we love each other.

There's nothing bunched up about my panties, it seems like a number of his supporters have a much harder time reading my posts, than I have with the man himself.

For me it's all fun and games and a big laugh, and you have to admit the street trash goon gives us a lot of ammunition to work with.

3 hours ago, Leopold Bloom said:

It's a bit unusual to "read" (cast a glance down) such boiling spewing hatred outside the confines of a mental home.

Someone should take care of this poor gentleman and inform him that blaming all the sins of the world on just one man is a sign of imbalance, to say the least.

Thanks for a good chuckle, anybody who can't see what a horrendous representative this man is has to be drinking an awful lot of Kool-Aid.

2 hours ago, Gknrd said:

In the USA if you want to deflect blame you play the Communism card. Same as the race card. He is trying to save the midterms. At all costs.

It’s his new “They’re eat the cats and the dogs.” Just to rile up his base before the midterms.

What else could be expected from Trump?

1 hour ago, candide said:

What else could be expected from Trump?

Yea, you could keep playing the "Trump is mentally ill" card.

Or at some point you may need to admit:

1 - You know nothing

2 - Your media is a bunch of crackheads feeding you and filling your head with garbage (see 1 above)

1 hour ago, save the frogs said:

Yea, you could keep playing the "Trump is mentally ill" card.

Or at some point you may need to admit:

1 - You know nothing

2 - Your media is a bunch of crackheads feeding you and filling your head with garbage (see 1 above)

Desperate again? 😃

10 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Trump Didn’t Bring Jobs Back — He Drove Customers Away

Trump sold himself as the guy who would bring jobs back to America.

What he’s actually done is push entire markets to build alternatives.

Europe isn’t just cancelling subscriptions.

It’s funding competitors.

Domestic cloud platforms.

European communication tools.

Sovereign data infrastructure.

Trump didn’t weaken Microsoft and Google with regulation.

He did it with recklessness.

Through sheer incompetence, the goon has achieved what China and Russia have been trying to do for years: fracture American technological dominance. And the irony?

U.S. tech companies are now begging Europe to stay — quietly assuring governments that they’re “independent” from Washington.

That’s not strength.

That’s damage control.

Our Adversaries Are Delighted

While American companies scramble, China and Russia are watching this unfold like Christmas morning.

No cyberattack.

No sanctions.

No espionage.

Just the U.S. torching its own credibility.

When Europe builds its own digital ecosystem, American leverage shrinks — economically, politically, and strategically. Influence isn’t just aircraft carriers anymore. It’s standards, platforms, and trust.

Trump is dismantling all three.

The Part Americans Don’t Want to Hear?

Seventy-five million Americans looked at this man — the chaos, the threats, the ignorance — and voted for it. Twice.

Not by accident.

Not unknowingly.

You wanted to “own the libs.”

Instead, you owned American companies out of billions, handed markets to competitors, and convinced allies that dependence on the U.S. is dangerous.

You didn’t stick it to Europe.

Europe walked away.

This Is the Real Cost of Trumpism

Not just rhetoric.

Not just embarrassment.

Structural, long-term economic damage.

France isn’t flipping America off.

It’s doing something far colder and more rational:

Planning for a future without the US? Honestly? Trump didn’t deserve loyalty.

American tech didn’t deserve this.

Independence Day- for this?

I'm afraid the facts don't support your liberal whining about the US economy.

After the first 6 months of 2026, the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ are up approx. 10% and 18% respectively.

You sound like a broken record regarding your constant criticism of Trump.

I recommend that you jump on the Trump bandwagon and join the winning team.

As you know, America loves a winner and can not tolerate a loser!