President Donald Trump celebrated America’s 250th birthday Saturday night on the National Mall with a speech casting the United States as the envy of the world — and warning that communism threatens its future.
Trump didn’t hold back.
“For 250 years, the United States of America has been the hope, the promise, the light, and the glory among all of the nations of the world, all over the world,” he told the crowd. “They try and be like us. Nobody can be like us.”
“Nobody can be like us.”
The president spent part of his remarks attacking the political left head-on. “Communism is a loser, and it always will be,” Trump said.
He compared the ideology to a disease that demands removal, calling it “like a cancer. You got to cut it out, you got to cut it out fast.”
The warning followed a run of primary victories by candidates linked to the Democratic Socialists of America, NewsNation reported. Trump didn’t name those candidates Saturday, though he has branded them communists before, according to Reuters.
Trump also revived his push for tighter voting rules. “We want to keep America great, and we will do so by approving the Save America Act,” he said.
The bill would require proof of citizenship to register and identification to vote, but it has stalled in Congress.
“You won’t have cheating on the elections anymore, it’s very simple,” Trump said.
The evening nearly collapsed before it started. Thunderstorms forced organizers to clear the Mall hours ahead of the speech, pushing spectators into nearby federal buildings, the New York Post reported.
Some booed the order and refused to leave. Others chanted “U-S-A, open the gates” as they shoved back through security.
Trump thanked those who came back and assured them the storm would not stop them.
He said 375,000 people left and 150,000 returned. Trump recounted an aide’s advice to reschedule. “One of my very brilliant people backstage said, ‘Don’t worry about it, sir, we can do it maybe next week,'” he said.
He refused, insisting the event belonged on the Fourth.
“At 250 years, we may be the oldest constitutional republic on earth, but our country is just getting started, because the best is yet to come.”
A fireworks show followed the roughly 39-minute address. The display launched 851,000 fireworks over Washington and was promoted as breaking the Guinness World Record for the largest ever, Fox News reported.
Trump closed on an upbeat forecast. “At 250 years, we may be the oldest constitutional republic on earth, but our country is just getting started, because the best is yet to come,” he said.
Melania Trump and several relatives stayed to watch the fireworks.
The speech tracked remarks Trump delivered a day earlier at Mount Rushmore, where he called communism “a mortal threat to American liberty.”
