WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump is set to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary on the National Mall in front of the Washington Monument with a speech scheduled at 9:45 p.m. ET, followed by what organizers are describing as the world’s largest fireworks show.
The night sky will glow for about 40 minutes, with approximately 850,000 pyrotechnic shells launched from the reflecting pool near the Lincoln Memorial, West Potomac Park, and barges floating on the Potomac River, setting a world record for the most fireworks launched in a single display. The show is estimated to cost about six times the amount normally budgeted for Fourth of July fireworks in the district, based on wholesale prices of approximately $1.5 million or more for such elaborate displays.
Trump will headline the Salute to America party, accompanied by the Joint Armed Forces Orchestra, live musical performances, and numerous guest speakers, yet to be named.
Military aircraft flyovers will set a patriotic tone throughout the day, beginning at 1:15 p.m. ET with NASA’s F-5 aircraft making an appearance. Precision formation performances from the Air Force Thunderbirds and the Navy Blue Angels, Golden Knight and Leap Frog parachute teams, and a flyover from the president’s newly redesigned Air Force One are among the many highlights planned for the day.
Demonstrations are scheduled every 10 to 20 minutes until 8:22 p.m ET, with a final B-1 flyby set to roar overhead moments before the fireworks show kicks off at 10:36 p.m. ET.
Elements of the day’s schedule were canceled or adapted to protect participants and guests from the sweltering heat affecting the region. Triple-digit temperatures and high humidity forced the cancellation of the annual Independence Day Parade, with postponements also impacting the Great State Fair.
Entry to the area where Trump will speak was delayed until 5 p.m. ET, with additional magnetometers and security screening areas added to expedite crowd management.
Excitement steadily grew over the past week as thousands of Americans and visitors from around the world poured into the nation’s capital to participate in celebrations of America’s semiquincentennial anniversary, marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Thousands of visitors were seen taking in the national monuments, many gathered around the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and enjoying the shade under the Lincoln Memorial, with festive hats and attire complementing their smiling faces and patriotic fervor.
Federal buildings across the capital were decorated with specially designed banners commemorating the momentous occasion and lit at night with red, white, and blue beams.
The National Archives hosted a reading of the founding document earlier in the day.
Trump also attended Independence Day festivities on July 3 at Mount Rushmore and on July 1 when he opened the Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, N.D.
He championed the American spirit during his address at Mount Rushmore, calling the country “the oldest republic on Earth, the freest people on Earth,” adding that it was “the most successful, most accomplished, most exceptional nation ever to exist.”
“We mark 250 years of glorious independence and 250 years of majestic American freedom,” Trump said. “Nothing like it.”
