WASHINGTON — Shortly after Congress enacted tax reduction legislation that he championed, President Donald Trump turned a heartland celebration for the United States’ upcoming 250th anniversary into a celebration of himself Thursday night, surrounded by supporters.
Trump claimed that the incredible win we had only hours prior, when Congress passed the one huge, magnificent bill to restore America’s greatness, was the best birthday present America could receive on the eve of the July 4th holiday.
In a symbolic synthesis of the overwhelming force he has used to transform Washington and the nation, the Republican president will sign the legislation Friday during a picnic at the White House, as fighter jets and stealth bombers that took part in recent airstrikes in Iran fly overhead.
He pumped his fists when musician Lee Greenwood sang Trump’s campaign trail anthem, God Bless the USA, and declared, “We’ve saved our country.” Along with tax incentives, the proposal reduces healthcare and food aid for low-income individuals while increasing funds for deportations.
It was the first act of a year-long celebration to commemorate two and a half centuries of American freedom at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. A huge fair with displays from every state will take place on Washington’s National Mall next summer, marking the culmination of the planning.
The celebrations in the upcoming year are seen by organizers as a means of bridging political divides and bringing the nation together. However, Trump’s statement that Democrats who voted against his legislation “hate our country” made it clear that he sees patriotism as inextricably linked to his personal goal.
“I think that all Americans can come together to celebrate and honor our history as well as our present and our future,” U.S. Ambassador Monica Crowley, Trump’s liaison to the organizing group, America250, stated in an interview about the anniversary activities.
She did, however, provide a tribute to Trump when she walked the stage to introduce the president, calling him the heir to the nation’s founding spirit of revolution.
Crowley remarked, “I don’t know what more people want or expect from an American president.” He is literally doing everything that is required of him in his job, and much more.
For hours, thousands of people waited for Trump in temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius). Trump memorabilia, such as Make America Great Again hats, Ultra MAGA shirts, and a pet monkey wearing a miniature Trump shirt, was all over the audience.
Trump heard what sounded like pyrotechnics throughout the speech. Ten days remained till the anniversary of his Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt.
“I hope it’s just fireworks,” he remarked. renowned final remarks.
Trump was speaking through strong protective glass, unlike a year earlier.
“You must always think positively,” he remarked. That sound didn’t sit well with me either.
Trump’s political ecstasy was not deterred by the recall of one of the most troubling periods in recent American history. He boasted about his election triumphs, the recent U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, the falling cost of eggs, and the decrease in the number of migrants crossing the southern border with Mexico.
Trump declared, “This is going to blow it away. We got great marks in the first term.” He claimed that because it makes him think of himself as president, he enjoys referring to his wife Melania as first lady.
Trump has sometimes reflected on the fortunate coincidence of holding the presidency during the nation’s 250th anniversary, a coincidence made possible only after he lost his first attempt to win a second term, a loss he has never conceded.
During the campaign last year, he pledged to organize a task group to work with state and local governments and to design an epic series of celebrations. He revealed plans for the Patriot Games on Thursday night, which are athletic competitions that bring together high school athletes from all over the nation to showcase the finest of American talent, sportsmanship, and spirit of competition.
Additionally, Trump proposed holding UFC bouts in the White House.
Only around one-third of Democrats say they are happy to be American, compared to roughly 90% of Republicans, according to a recent Gallup poll that revealed the greatest partisan divide in patriotism in more than 20 years.
According to a June AP-NORC poll, roughly 4 out of 10 American adults are satisfied with Trump’s performance as president, while roughly 6 out of 10 are not.
This year’s cost-cutting measures by the Trump administration could make the festivities more difficult. The National Endowment for the Humanities informed state humanities councils nationwide that their federal grants had been terminated due to reduced financing. Many of those councils had previously allocated a portion of their government money for events at museums, libraries, and schools in order to commemorate the 250th anniversary.
The budget cuts have already reduced some of the planned programming, such as community readings of the Declaration of Independence, according to Gabrielle Lyon, executive director of Illinois Humanities and chair of the Illinois America 250 Commission.
“If you’re not funding the humanities councils, it’s very difficult to understand how we can protect and preserve people’s ability locally to make this mean something for them and to celebrate what they want to celebrate,” Lyon added.
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This report was written by Amelia Thomson DeVeaux, AP Polling Editor in Washington. Chris Megerian and Gary Fields, both AP journalists, also contributed.
