Extreme weather disrupts US 250th birthday celebrations | Donald Trump News

Published on Jul 5, 2026 Jul 5, 2026

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Updated: an hour agoUpdated: an hour ago

Severe weather disrupted celebrations of the 250th anniversary of United States independence, including in Washington, DC, where a storm delayed President Donald Trump’s speech by nearly two hours.

Trump, speaking to a crowd of thousands after Saturday’s delay, described the milestone as “one of the most joyous and glorious” in the nation’s history.

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He paid tribute to veterans, including several who served in World War II, and celebrated American military prowess, saying the United States had “annihilated” the Iranian military.

The president used the opportunity to advocate for the SAVE America Act, which would require ID and proof of citizenship to vote, and renewed his attacks on the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which he has repeatedly called “communist” and compared to a cancer.

“It’s like a cancer: it has to be eliminated,” he said.

In New York, authorities staged a large fireworks display to mark July 4 celebrations, moving the show forward by 30 minutes due to the threat of storms.

The rain and lightning stayed away, allowing thousands of people to enjoy the spectacle.

Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks explode as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary on Independence Day, in New York, United States, July 4, 2026. [Carlos Barria/Reuters]

Elsewhere, severe weather led to the cancellation of celebrations in Hartford, Connecticut, and Harrisburg and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Spectators in the city of Boston, who had gathered to watch the fireworks, were asked to take shelter briefly before the events resumed. The city of Pittsburgh also moved forward with fireworks, but changed the time to accommodate weather changes.

Earlier in Washington, DC, authorities ordered an evacuation due to weather conditions, with spectators sheltering in nearby museums and government buildings for a few hours. But the crowd then returned several hours later to an open field near the Washington Monument.

Visitors had waited hours to access the event, facing heavy security and temperatures that reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius). The record heatwave forced the cancellation of several parades and other events in the region.

“It’s just part of the deal I signed up for,” said Glen Solander, 60, a visiting software engineer from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as he waited at a security checkpoint Saturday afternoon.

Other visitors included the white nationalist organization Patriot Front.

The group announced on social media that it had arrived in the capital, and hundreds of people wearing the group’s outfits traveled to the city aboard subway trains serving the District of Columbia area.

Local police said they had not received any reports of violence.

Former presidents have generally avoided in-person appearances at Fourth of July celebrations, but Trump has blurred the line between official commemoration and campaign politics.

The Trump administration’s Freedom 250 group has largely sidelined a nonpartisan body created in 2016 to manage the 250th anniversary and closed off much of the 1.5-mile National Mall for a “Great American State Fair” featuring attractions such as a Ferris wheel alongside exhibits from conservative groups and defense contractors.

Freedom 250 says the show aims to showcase the people and innovations that make the United States “the greatest nation on earth.”

Several Democratic-led states refused to send delegations and many artists scheduled to perform dropped out, citing partisanship concerns.

Trump opened the event with a rally on June 24.

Other Freedom 250-branded activities include a church gathering featuring mostly conservative Christians and several sporting events, including a mixed martial arts fighting card on the White House grounds for Trump’s 80th birthday on June 14.

An IndyCar race in Washington is planned for August.

The Freedom 250 organization has also sponsored “Freedom Trucks” that critics say paint an overly religious version of American history and gloss over issues such as slavery and racial injustice.

Trump sought to remake large swaths of the capital before the 250th anniversary celebration, with mixed results. “Many fountains and statues have been renovated, but problems have beset a much-touted $15 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool.

Security cameras and soldiers now monitor the peeling paint and algae-stained waters.

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