Trump marks 250th Independence Day at Mount Rushmore, warns US 'will never be a communist country'

Proclamation and Mount Rushmore visit

President Trump signed a proclamation declaring 4 July 2026 the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence before departing for Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. The proclamation recalled the 56 signers who "pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor" and described the Declaration as containing "sacred truths that transcend time and space."

250 years ago, the Founding Fathers of our great Republic gathered in Philadelphia to fulfill a destiny willed by God: the freedom and independence of the United States of America.

At the monument bearing the carved faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln, Trump watched a flyover and a large fireworks display before addressing the crowd.

Speech: American greatness and the communist threat

In his speech, Trump called the United States "the strongest and most powerful country on Earth" and "the most successful nation in human history." He said the Declaration had "sparked an earthquake" and "started a revolution that has never ended and continues today."

We have the most just and enduring Constitution on earth. We are the strongest and most powerful country on earth and, by the grace of God, the United States is the most successful nation, with the most extraordinary and appreciated results that have ever existed in human history.

The president then turned to a warning about communism, which he called "the greatest threat our country has ever faced, surpassing even the First and Second World Wars, Pearl Harbor or 9/11." He said the Communist Party was made up of "illegal immigrants, criminals and anyone who doesn't have to work" and declared that "America will never be a communist country."

A generation after we fought and won the Cold War against the threat of communism, we are witnessing a resurgence of that threat in our land, fueled also by those who have just arrived in our country and embrace ideas diametrically opposed to our way of life.

Political context and midterm warning

Trump linked the communist threat to domestic political opponents, referencing the socialist democrats led by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. He warned that "we can lose the midterm elections only if we act like fools" and said American identity is "under a new attack from internal radicals and extremists."

Communism is the exact opposite of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness: it is death, tyranny and the pursuit of evil.

Criticism and historical reflection

Italian daily Il Fatto Quotidiano offered a sharply critical take on the anniversary, arguing that the public discourse in America has been "poisoned by hate and revenge" and that the institutions reflect decay. The paper noted that the principles of the Declaration, which rooted government legitimacy in the equal dignity of every human being, now seem almost revolutionary.

Today there is little to celebrate in America. Public discourse, poisoned by hate and revenge, has turned political opponents into enemies of the nation.

Heat wave and fireworks concerns

The celebrations unfolded amid a record heat wave, with temperatures in Washington exceeding 40°C. The fireworks at Mount Rushmore reignited serious concerns about wildfires due to drought in the Black Hills National Forest, though the administration insisted the display would be conducted safely, citing the 2020 precedent.

Trump was scheduled to return to Washington overnight and deliver a lengthy speech on the National Mall later on 4 July, with fireworks promoted as "the largest in American history."