A popular quote attributed to the 19th-century writer and playwright Henry Howard Paul assures that "July is a month of intense heat in the United States, and by some strange coincidence, the 4th of July, of all days, is always the fiercest (...) The whole country, from the borders of Maine to the mouth of the Mississippi, is a scene of noise and smoke... The stores are closed... Rich and poor alike have fun. Fourth of July! It is a day... patriotic citizens and lovers of freedom in the United States reserve this day each year to set off fireworks in commemoration of the Declaration of Independence."
This Saturday, July 4th, the United States celebrates its independence, its 250th anniversary, amidst extreme heat, with the promise of noise, smoke, and fireworks like never before, and with Donald Trump's fervent desire for center stage, determined to overshadow and monopolize the celebrations and turn the upcoming months into a new anti-communist crusade leading up to the November legislative elections. Not to mention fears of a possible attack or incident.
Everything has turned into a struggle for ownership of dates, symbols, flags, and the past. Not by chance. Trump has increased his presence this week in significant places and moments. In the capital, at the inauguration of the library of one of the most iconic presidents of the turn of the last century, Teddy Roosevelt. At Mount Rushmore, under the faces of Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington, and Roosevelt. And now again in the heart of the capital on the day of national pride.
An event with such significance should aim to be a grand display of unity, patriotism, and collective memory. Instead, the commemoration is marked by the White House's attempts to associate the best of the past with the president's agenda and by a heatwave that has forced alterations to events, reduced capacities, and issued health warnings in much of the country. Additionally, the capital is filled with police, soldiers, fences, and walls everywhere. The Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial is surrounded by barriers and surveillance with the president and his prosecutors seeking to imprison alleged saboteurs. The same goes for Lafayette Park, next to the White House, fenced off for months to expel beggars and keep citizens away. Or with the National Mall's Great American Fair, with much higher security measures than usual on this date.
Trump celebrated his birthday in mid-June with a mixed martial arts evening in the official residence gardens. He then organized a "states fair" that turned into a huge fiasco when several guests and one after another the confirmed artists realized it was going to be anything but a national unity event. And now he has seen how the extreme heat left the National Mall facilities without visitors and threatens his most anticipated and controversial rally.
Therefore, the president has decided to redouble efforts on this Saturday, announcing a "very long speech" well into the night to avoid peak temperatures that on Friday forced the cancellation of a rodeo and the closure of the fair gates in the capital. It will be almost at the edge of 10:00 p.m. local time, requiring the fireworks to go off almost at midnight, much later than usual. The audience that normally fills the gardens at the foot of the obelisk honoring George Washington will not even be allowed to bring backpacks, food, or chairs as they do every year.
Since his return to the White House, the president has tried to turn the nation's anniversary into a vindication of his political project, promoting a narrative focused on American exceptionalism, military power, and a patriotic interpretation of national history. Today's grand rally symbolizes that attempt to identify the legacy of 1776 with the spirit of the MAGA movement.
Those who have doubts can review his words on Friday night at the foot of the famous Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, where he called his rivals "communists," said that his supporters can only "lose the midterm elections if we allow it, if we are foolish, stupid, and reckless," and demanded that Congress pass his 'Save America Act,' which aims to impose stricter voter identification rules on states.
The key lies in those November elections, where Republicans seem poised to lose control of Congress and could also lose the Senate. And above all, in the moment that seems to be boosting the most left-leaning candidates, those endorsed by the socialist mayor of New York, the new 'kingmaker' of the Democratic Party. In South Dakota, Trump pointed out without mincing words: "as we approach this magnificent anniversary, we see our American identity under a new attack. A generation after having fought and won the Cold War against the communist threat, we now see a resurgence of this threat in our country, even from immigrants adopting ideas completely opposed to our way of life and our great achievements," an obvious reference to the New Yorker.
"This is not about mere political disagreements, like differences on taxes or regulations. Communism is a deadly threat to American freedom. It is the greatest threat to our country, even more than the First and Second World Wars, Pearl Harbor, or 9/11. We will not allow this to happen. Believe me, we will not allow it. Because communism is the enemy of freedom everywhere, in the whole world. It never works. It is the enemy of the Constitution. Above all, it is the enemy of July 4, 1776." He added.
The commemoration of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of a republic have ended up reflecting the deep divisions in American society, increasingly fractured, angry, and distrustful of leaders and institutions. According to a survey from a few weeks ago by the Associated Press-NORC Public Affairs Research Center, only 4 out of 10 American adults feel proud of the country's 250th anniversary, and only 3 out of 10 claimed to feel excited.
For Trump supporters, the date is a great opportunity to regain the initiative after several political, electoral, economic, and judicial setbacks. For critics, it is a moment to increase pressure on someone they say is trying to eliminate all checks and balances to become a new "king."