As searing heat puts a damper on the celebrations, the president is getting ready to make another speech – and it’s going to be a long one
2-MIN READ2-MINBloombergPublished: 1:20am, 5 Jul 2026President Donald Trump will headline US Independence Day celebrations on Saturday with a speech and a show that seek to place him at the centre of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Trump has made no secret of his joy at presiding over the July 4 festivities, portraying the timing as a side benefit of winning a second term starting in 2025 – even as the Republican falsely claims he also won the previous election against Democrat Joe Biden.
Celebrations will be held across the US to mark the occasion, which commemorates the 1776 adoption of the Declaration of Independence that separated the American colonies from Great Britain. Americans traditionally celebrate with fireworks, picnics and red, white and blue memorabilia.
The July 4 holiday, and Trump’s role in it, coincides with political polarisation among Americans and low approval ratings for the president.
His efforts to remake Washington with pet projects – a White House ballroom, a triumphal arch and a revamped John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts – contrast with voters’ concerns about the economy.
US hiring slowed sharply in June, according to Bureau of Labour Statistics data released Thursday.
