Attendees endure triple-digit heat during National Mall celebrations
A severe thunderstorm warning forced the evacuation of thousands of attendees from the National Mall on Saturday evening, hours before President Trump was scheduled to deliver a speech and a record-setting fireworks show to mark the 250th anniversary.
The evacuation order, which organizers described as temporary, came after a day of extreme heat. Temperatures exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and some attendees were seen passing out. National Guard members distributed water to the crowd. Kara Clark, 62, who traveled from Tampa, Fla., said she found the logistics confusing but considered the experience worthwhile. “As long as we all have enough water, ice and conversation, we can do it,” she told the Wall Street Journal.
Earlier in the day, masked people in gear associated with the white nationalist group Patriot Front, some carrying Confederate flags, rode the Metro and marched in front of Union Station, according to the Journal.
The celebration was organized by Freedom 250, a group aligned with Trump that took over much of the planning for the semiquincentennial from the bipartisan America250 commission created by Congress in 2016. Some have said Freedom 250 put conservative priorities at the center of the event, adding a partisan sheen to the festivities, according to the Journal. Freedom 250 has said it created a party for all Americans.
Trump was scheduled to speak at 10 p.m. Eastern time. He had said earlier in the week in North Dakota that he planned to deliver a lengthy speech despite the heat. “It’s going to be approximately 107 degrees out, and I’m going to go, and I’m going to make a really long speech just to show that I can do anything,” Trump said.
The fireworks show, described by Freedom 250 as a record-setting show, was set to include over 850,000 fireworks launched from multiple locations, lasting 35 minutes — about twice the length of a traditional Fourth of July show on the Mall.
Security measures were stricter than in previous years. Attendees were allowed only one small clear bag; metal and glass containers were prohibited. Water was not banned, but drink tumblers were not allowed.
The president’s impact on the city’s appearance was also on display. His roughly $16 million restoration of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool became a national news story after algae blooms clouded the water and pieces of the pool’s new coating floated to the surface.
Few presidents have given speeches on the National Mall on Independence Day. In 1976, President Gerald Ford delivered a formal address in Philadelphia. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan spoke at New York Harbor. Trump gave an address at the Lincoln Memorial in 2019, during which he mistakenly said the Continental Army “manned the air” and “took over the airports” before air travel existed. He later blamed a teleprompter glitch.