Trump visits Mount Rushmore, reviving talk of his face on the monument, as 250th anniversary celebrations begin

A return to the mountain

President Trump will speak beneath the granite faces of Mount Rushmore Friday evening, with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden also addressing the crowd. A fireworks display will follow, though the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the area, which is expected to lift shortly before Trump lands. The event comes amid drought conditions that have raised fire hazard concerns around the pyrotechnics.

Legacy carved in fantasy

Trump has long flirted with the idea of adding his own face to the monument, calling it a "good idea" in a 2020 tweet and posting digital mock-ups on Truth Social as recently as five weeks ago. The White House welcomed the notion this week:

There would be no better addition to the iconic Mount Rushmore than the 45th and 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump.

Officials note the rock cannot be further carved, but the president has sought to imprint his name on institutions elsewhere, adding his likeness to federal buildings, U.S. passports, gold coins, and a drug discount platform called TrumpRx.

Sweltering Independence weekend

In Washington, a record-breaking heatwave has already forced the Great American State Fair, a feature of the 250th celebrations, to close temporarily on Friday as temperatures reached the high 30s Celsius. Attendance had been sparse since its opening. On Saturday, the National Mall will host a "Salute to America" event with musical performances, flyovers of fighter jets and B1 bombers, and an address by Trump. Democrats have accused the president of hijacking the anniversary after a White House-created group, Freedom 250, took control from a bipartisan Congressional commission.

1. Jul 1, 2026Trump dedicates the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota.
2. Jul 3, 2026Trump delivers keynote address at Mount Rushmore; fireworks follow despite thunderstorm warning.
3. Jul 3, 2026Great American State Fair on National Mall closes early due to record heatwave.
4. Jul 4, 2026Salute to America event on National Mall with musical performances, flyovers; Trump to give remarks.

Political heat

The semi-quincentennial coincides with a period of sharp political polarisation as Trump aggressively expands executive power and U.S. military force.

Beneath the towering faces of four of America's greatest presidents, President Trump will deliver a historic address commemorating the nation's 250th anniversary and charting a course for America's next chapter.

A Pew Research Center poll found Americans gloomy about the economy, which is strained by energy price rises from the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran and stubborn inflation. Republican lawmakers worry the conflict could cost them a chamber in November's midterm elections.