
Trump visits Mount Rushmore, reviving talk of his face on the monument, as 250th anniversary celebrations begin
President Trump travels to South Dakota on Friday to deliver a keynote at Mount Rushmore, reviving a longstanding fantasy of seeing his face carved alongside past presidents, ahead of a sweltering July 4 on the National Mall.
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:
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.There would be no better addition to the iconic Mount Rushmore than the 45th and 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump.
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.
- Trump dedicates the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota.
- Trump delivers keynote address at Mount Rushmore; fireworks follow despite thunderstorm warning.
- Great American State Fair on National Mall closes early due to record heatwave.
- Salute 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.
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.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.

