The U.S. President exalted the greatness of the United States in his speech celebrating the 250th anniversary of Independence, during an intervention delayed due to bad weather and in which he stated that no one will ever match the country’s power.
“For 250 years, the United States of America has been the hope, the promise, the light, and the glory among all the nations of the world, across the entire planet”, Donald Trump stated on Saturday at the beginning of his speech, which started more than an hour later than scheduled. They try to be like us. No one can be like us, he added.
The Republican thanked the crowd, composed mostly of supporters, who had to wait several hours in the middle of a heatwave, only to later evacuate the venue and pass through strict security checkpoints once again upon returning.
In the style of a political rally, Trump reiterated warnings about the threat of communism. We do not want communists in our country.
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“It has never worked”, he stated, referring to recent victories by democratic socialist candidates in the primaries for the upcoming midterm elections this November.
He also took the opportunity to promote a controversial electoral reform that would tighten requirements for registering and voting in federal elections, which remains stalled in Congress.
“The United States is back and we want to maintain its greatness. We will achieve this by passing the ‘SAVE America’ Act, which means that every voter, everyone, absolutely everyone, will have to present an ID and provide something called proof of citizenship, and there will be no mail-in voting, except in a few cases”, he insisted.
Trump chained together stories of heroism and historic events to reflect the values of patriotism and freedom that, he claimed, constitute the American spirit, while inviting veterans onto the stage to salute several historical flags.
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“Together, we also reaffirm the truth that the strength and power of the United States are not a cause for shame. It is something we feel very, very proud of”, he added.
Among the flags honored at the event was the one raised on the flagship when the U.S. Navy sank the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay, which he called one of the greatest naval victories in history and compared to the recent victory of sinking the entire Iranian Navy in the recent conflict with Tehran. Furthermore, he stated that he would hand over a flag that flew over the Capitol and which will soon be raised by American astronauts on the next return to the Moon, he assured.
Trump’s speech on the National Mall marked the climax of a series of celebrations spanning weeks in the U.S. capital, which sparked controversy among critics who accuse the President of politicizing a commemoration that, by its nature, should include all Americans.
The Republican administration created ‘Freedom 250’ to organize alternative events to those planned by the non-partisan organization ‘America250’, including the Great American State Fair in the capital, an event that fell short of expectations due to lower-than-expected attendance, a heatwave, and the cancellation of dozens of artists.
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Trump’s words were preceded by a fireworks display, the largest of its kind in Washington, with which the government aims to establish a record, but which reportedly caused unhealthy conditions in parts of the city according to National Park Service documents analyzed by The Washington Post newspaper.
Other cities, such as New York or Los Angeles, celebrated the 250th anniversary of United States Independence with concerts, parades, fairs, and festivals, although several of these outdoor events were delayed or canceled due to the extreme heatwave sweeping the country.
