KEYSTONE, S.D.—President Donald Trump made an historic address at Mount Rushmore on Friday to commemorate America’s 250th Independence Day at the iconic South Dakota sculptures.
Air Force One made two flyovers of Mount Rushmore, as people cheered and aimed their cellphones skyward. The plane landed and then, just before 9 p.m. local time, the president took the stage as “Hail to the Chief,” the official presidential anthem, played.
Trump became the only president to deliver two Rushmore speeches; this address and his first Rushmore remarks in 2020 were both capped by spectacular fireworks displays that illuminated the sculptures of four past presidents on the mountainside.
On Friday, the president extolled American greatness, honored the legacy of its founders, and rebuked communism.
About 4,800 people attended after winning tickets in a public lottery. More than 103,000 people had paid the $1 entry fee hoping to win one of those coveted tickets. Otherwise, the park was closed to the general public.
“At 250 years, America is the oldest republic on Earth. We are the freest people on Earth. We have the most righteous and enduring constitution on Earth. We are the strongest and most powerful country on Earth. And by the grace of God, the United States of America is the most successful, most accomplished, most exceptional nation ever to exist in human history,” he said.
Several times, the audience chanted, “USA, USA!” in response to the president’s remarks.
“As we give thanks for these extraordinary blessings, we remember that what we have created in this country is not the natural way of the world. It is not the norm. It is the exception. It is rare, it is priceless, and it is truly miraculous,” he said.
“On this anniversary, we must remember that American liberty has not endured for 250 years merely because of words on paper. Liberty has prevailed here because of the culture and character of the people who declared it, defended it, and preserved it. ”
The president emphasized the importance of American culture and identity. Referring to the images of presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, Trump said, “These men could only have been made in the USA.”
That phrase drew a burst of cheering from the audience. Then he continued, “Their faces are engraved on these bluffs, not only because of what they did, but to remind us forever who we are.”
“These heroes exemplify what is timeless, enduring, and eternal about the American character.”
Those four great men were known for being daring, determined, and intelligent, he said, adding that they won, secured, and saved America’s freedoms.
In his speech, Trump warned of what he called the “resurgence of the communist menace” in the country, which he said includes newcomers who hold “ideas totally opposed to our way of life and our great success.”
“As we approach this magnificent anniversary, we see our American identity under a renewed attack,” he said.
“These are not mere political disagreements like differences over taxes or regulations. Communism is a mortal threat to American liberty. It is the greatest threat to our country, including World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, or even 9/11. We’re not going to let this happen to us.”
The proclamation outlines the Trump administration’s goals that include advancing space exploration, strengthening U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence, protecting American citizens, and restoring law and order.
“My Administration will not rest until every one of these sacred promises are kept,” Trump said in the proclamation.
“Guided by the wisdom of our Founders and the unyielding faith of our people, we will lead our Nation into a new American Golden Age.”
Trump’s last speech at Mount Rushmore was in July 2020, during his first term. At that time, Trump became the nation’s fifth president to deliver a speech at the iconic national memorial. Past presidents who spoke there were Calvin Coolidge, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush.
This time around, Trump headlined the Rushmore program to honor the nation’s semiquincentennial—a prelude to his remarks at the grand July 4 celebration in the nation’s capital.
‘Fitting Place’ to Honor History
Under a contract with South Dakota, this year’s Rushmore show was built on the company’s 2020 Rushmore display.
The fireworks show served as a “narrative tribute” to the four presidents enshrined on the monument.
The program emphasized Washington and Jefferson because of their pivotal roles in the nation’s founding.
Washington was the first American president. And before becoming the third president, Jefferson was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, the nation’s founding document signed on July 4, 1776.
The other two presidents depicted on Rushmore took office many years later.
The monument’s sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, said he selected Lincoln, the 16th president, to represent the permanent union of the U.S. states; Roosevelt, the 26th president, stands for U.S. prominence globally and the rights of everyday people.
Now, although Trump has disputed the 2020 election that put President Joe Biden into the White House, skipping those four years enabled him to preside over the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration during his second presidency.
On July 3, the 47th president gave keynote remarks “beneath one of the nation’s most recognizable symbols of freedom and self-government,” said Freedom 250, which coordinated this event and many others nationwide.
Keith Krach, Freedom 250 chairman, described Mount Rushmore as “a tribute to the leaders who shaped the American experiment and secured the blessings of liberty for generations to come.”
“As we mark 250 years, there’s no more fitting place to honor how far we’ve come,” while also anticipating the future with optimism, Krach said in a news release.
Skies Cleared After Rain, Hail, Lightning
Before Trump’s speech, officials planned a “celebration of American history, culture, and patriotism.”
However, organizers had to curtail some activities because of foul weather. Repeatedly throughout the afternoon, officials ordered attendees to seek shelter. Lightning strikes were reported several miles away. Then rainstorms and pea-sized hailstones pelted the Rushmore grounds.
Attendees huddled inside the gift shop, a restaurant, and other areas; many donned rain ponchos.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people waited outside, trying to get into the venue after they battled traffic jams.
Around 7:30 p.m. local time, the skies had cleared, and the planned programming resumed.
Music performances and aviation flyovers honored all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
At twilight, South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, formerly North Dakota’s governor, welcomed Trump to the stage.
Lighting the Sky
A California-based company, Pyro Spectaculars Inc., put on the fireworks displays after both of Trump’s Rushmore speeches.
This year at Rushmore, the company unveiled “unique color-changing and strobe effects never before presented in the USA,” its proposal for the show said.
Run by the Souza family for five generations, Pyro Spectaculars has repeatedly won some of America’s most coveted fireworks contracts. A half-century ago, when America marked its bicentennial in 1976, the Souzas lit up the New York and Boston harbors.
A decade later, Pyro Spectaculars commemorated the Statue of Liberty’s 100th anniversary.
The company has also been entrusted to add pizzazz to several Olympic Games, Los Angeles Dodgers games, and Macy’s July 4 and Thanksgiving events in New York City.
Pyro Spectaculars said the nation’s 250th anniversary serves as “a milestone of the moments that define us.”
“We don’t just light the sky to be loud; we do it to quiet the noise of the world and remind us why we are free,” the company proposal says.
“While the birthday belongs to the nation, the memories belong to the families.”
“Our mission is to bring magic to the sky ... celebrating America’s 250th birthday and adorning one of America’s greatest icons.”
Past Rushmore Speeches
Trump’s first speech at Rushmore was held exactly six years prior, on July 3, 2020. It occurred at a time of great upheaval, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests.
During his speech, Trump railed against protesters who were defacing and toppling monuments across the nation.
“This movement is openly attacking the legacies of every person on Mount Rushmore. They defile the memory of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt,” he said.
Then the 45th president, Trump had just signed a law carrying harsh punishments for monument vandals.
He also said the vandalism of monuments appeared to reflect a larger effort to destroy America and declared, “We will never let them rip America’s heroes from our monuments, or from our hearts.”
Decades earlier, while the monument was still under construction, the nation’s 32nd president also made memorable statements at Rushmore.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, known as FDR, spent five minutes delivering a 700-word impromptu speech. But his August 1936 remarks are often quoted by historians.
FDR stated that he had seen drawings and photos of Rushmore, but seeing it in person for the first time made him aware “of its permanent beauty and of its permanent importance.”
He then mused that, perhaps 10,000 years later, future Americans might gaze upon the carved likenesses of the presidents on Rushmore.
It made him wonder what they would think of people from ages past.
“Let us hope that at least they will give us the benefit of the doubt,” FDR said, “that they will believe we have honestly striven every day and generation to preserve for our descendants a decent land to live in and a decent form of government to operate under.”
