Trump opens US 250th birthday party with rally-style speech

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump opened 16 days of celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary on June 24 with a rally-style speech – turning a national commemoration into a highly politicised showcase for his second-term agenda.

The address, on Washington’s National Mall, underscored how Trump has reshaped the anniversary around his own brand of politics and showmanship, blurring the line between official celebration and campaign-style spectacle.

The Republican leader eventually invoked the grand sweep of American history, but the first part of his address was largely indistinguishable from one of his political rallies – albeit delivered in a more subdued tone.

“As we stand on the edge of our 250th year of independence, I am thrilled to declare that America is back,” Trump said, reworking a familiar rallying cry.

“And, as you know very well, a short time ago, we were a dead country. We were dead. Now we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world.”

Trump began with the Middle East, framing the unpopular and widely criticised US-Israeli war with Iran as a major victory for Americans, and called the US capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro one of the “great military raids in history.”

At home, he touted what he described as a booming economy, attacked his predecessor Joe Biden’s record as a “total disaster” and claimed US$19 trillion (S$24.64 trillion) in inward investment – a figure far above even his own administration’s claims.

Trump’s delivery was downbeat for the most part – although he demonstrated much more passion touting his renovations of Washington’s buildings and monuments.

“Every day of my administration, we’re delivering one historic victory after the next for the American people,” Trump said.

US President Donald Trump dances at a rally to kick off the Great American State Fair in celebration of the 250th anniversary of US independence on the National Mall in Washington on June 24. PHOTO: REUTERS

The address kicked off the Great American State Fair, a free festival marking the semiquincentennial anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with state pavilions, military flyovers, music and patriotic displays.

The fair, running through July 10, features exhibits representing all 50 states and six US territories along the National Mall, the stretch of parkland between the US Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial.

Organizers have promised attractions ranging from regional food and cultural displays to a 110-foot Ferris wheel, a restored Smithsonian carousel, military bands and a red-white-and-blue “250” projected onto the Washington Monument.

But Trump’s critics say the anniversary of a republic founded in revolt against monarchy has become another stage for a president unusually eager to put himself at the centre of national life.

The president promised a new American “golden age” and cast himself as the leader who restored the country’s strength after years of decline.

June 24’s kickoff became more overtly political after several musicians withdrew from the original programme, citing concerns that the event had taken on a partisan cast.

Trump then announced himself as the headliner, boasting online that he could draw larger audiences than Elvis Presley and promising music chosen to suit his supporters.

The revised lineup included Lee Greenwood, whose “God Bless the USA” has long been a staple of Trump rallies, opera singer Christopher Macchio and military bands.

The event came at a difficult moment for Trump, who is trying to pivot from the Iran war while selling voters on his handling of the economy, immigration and national security ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Trump has also drawn criticism for putting his personal stamp on Washington during the anniversary year, from plans for a White House ballroom and triumphal arch to costly repairs at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which has been hit by algae and peeling paint.

He beamed as spoke at length about the renovations, and vowed that the forthcoming Independence Day festivities would be “the greatest show of all.”

“He is a great cheerleader for America,” said Barbara Van Riper, a 57-year-old rally-goer from Florida.

“He stands up for America. He stands up for the American dream. He stands up for freedoms.” AFP