U.S. President Donald Trump kicked off America's 250th Independence Day celebrations with a 28-minute speech at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota. The 23-minute light and fireworks show that followed lit up the night.
Trump emphasizes 'Golden Age'
In his speech, Trump highlighted American exceptionalism. "Americans honor excellence; we admire courage; we respect ambition. We are a nation of dreamers and believers, warriors and explorers, builders and warriors," he said.
The President said, "Show us a mountain, we climb it. Show us an ocean, we cross it. Show us a problem, we solve it. Give us a task the world calls impossible, and Americans will achieve it."
Trump ended his speech with the theme of "America's Golden Age," saying, "Tomorrow we reach a unique milestone. After two and a half centuries, we know this is not an end, but only the beginning of America's Golden Age."
Fireworks display accompanied by words of former presidents
The light and fireworks show that began after the speech took place over the 60-meter carved heads of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The display was accompanied by quotes from historic speeches of former U.S. presidents and music.
The show began with the words "the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty" from Washington's first inaugural address, and also included Lincoln's "government of the people, by the people, for the people" from the Gettysburg Address.
Franklin D. Roosevelt's "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself," John F. Kennedy's call to "ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country," and Ronald Reagan's speech after the Challenger disaster were also among the quotes that accompanied the fireworks.
Khamenei's funeral in Iran
While Trump was speaking, on the other side of the world, Iranians chanted calls for revenge against the U.S. at the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Tradition halted under Biden returns
The fireworks display at Mount Rushmore was started during Trump's first term but was halted by the Biden administration. The tradition was revived with Trump's re-election as president.
Larger display expected in Washington
Trump announced that his speech on Saturday night in Washington, D.C. would be "very long" and would be crowned with "the biggest fireworks display in world history."
