Thousands of patriots on the National Mall had a message for the media this weekend: President Donald Trump’s Fourth of July address wasn’t too political — it was exactly what America needed to hear.
Attendees at the Great American State Fair told Fox News Digital they saw the speech as patriotic, not partisan, pushing back on media criticism that the president had sullied America’s 250th anniversary celebration.
“He’s talking about taking down communism,” David from New Jersey said.
“That’s the definition of our whole country. Built on capitalism, that’s our whole country. If that’s what he was talking about, I don’t think that’s political at all. It’s just about the freedom that we have here.”
Thousands of Americans packed the National Mall on Saturday to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, touring exhibits from all 50 states despite sweltering heat and severe thunderstorms that temporarily paused celebrations.
Hours later, President Trump delivered his 37-minute address, honoring veterans and the nation’s founding while declaring that “no dream in history is bigger” than the American experiment.
“We don’t want communists in our country,” Trump said, before a record-setting fireworks display lit up the sky.
Matt from Florida said that while others may have disliked Trump’s speech, he saw it as a tribute to veterans and Medal of Honor recipients.
“It’s really nice to see him share the stage instead of just giving a speech and going away like most presidents do,” he said.
“It was just nice to actually see him treat the whole thing as a giant event as opposed to just a limelight on himself.”
Ed from Ohio said he supports the president “100 percent,” while his wife Linda added a message for critics: “You should be able to rise above your political opinion and still enjoy the country’s Fourth of July.”
Doug and Karen from Texas said they approved of President Trump’s message.
“It wasn’t too political, it was what we needed to hear,” Doug said.
“It was good,” Karen added. “People need to hear it.”
Kim from Michigan called July 4 “a political holiday,” saying people will always find something to criticize.
“Throughout our history, it’s been about our politics and what we stand for as a people, and what we believe in and what we’re willing to fight for,” she said.
Priya from California said politics naturally belongs in a Fourth of July speech, adding that America must change course “from a very negative direction that the country has gone.”
“I think there’s an intricate part that politics play obviously in the 250 years that we have been a nation,” she said. “For it to last another 250 and hopefully beyond, we have to pay attention to that.”
The Great American State Fair continues through July 10th on the National Mall.
