Trump turns America's 250th anniversary into personal carnival, rewriting history and drawing sharp criticism

A capital turned into a theme park

The centrepiece of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which the original 13 colonies adopted on July 4, 1776, is a sprawling carnival on the National Mall. Metal barriers now line the green space between the Capitol and the Washington Monument. A miniature Arc de Triomphe has been erected, together with giant tents, temporary pavilions and a Ferris wheel, all part of what the White House has branded the 'Great American State Fair.' The spectacle, described by multiple European outlets as chaotic and self-serving, replaces the usual unifying tone of a national birthday with a celebration of the president himself.

Rewriting the national narrative

Beyond the physical transformation of Washington, President Trump is seeking to impose his interpretation of American history on museums, national parks and monuments, according to a report by France 24. The administration has already started altering the face of the capital, a move that critics see as an attempt to foreground moments favourable to Trump while erasing others. The French broadcaster notes that the president intends to turn the historic milestone into the apotheosis of his second term.

The philosopher's verdict

A long essay published by the New Statesman on the eve of the anniversary offers a bleak assessment of the country's trajectory. British philosopher John Gray describes Trump's America as a 'vortex of failed military adventurism, clownish diplomacy, economic mismanagement, and Putin-style kleptocracy.' He argues that the president has not merely disrupted the republic but dissolved its founding promise.

Donald Trump has reduced this hope to nothing. A nihilistic troublemaker is dissolving the country's founding myth, leaving America's future in deep uncertainty.

Gray also implicates a progressive elite that, in his view, accelerated the loss of faith in political institutions after decades of neoliberal globalisation. He contends that deindustrialisation stripped tens of millions of Americans of a productive role while progressive legislation systematically undermined their values, fuelling the backlash Trump now harnesses.

A day of division

Commentators across the European press concur that the 250th anniversary, normally an occasion for national unity, will be anything but. Le Monde observes that the commemorations have not been able to steer clear of the polarisation that has marked Trump's return to power. Süddeutsche Zeitung notes that some had still hoped a US president might not take himself quite so seriously on such a birthday – a hope the current celebrations have dashed.