President Donald Trump kicks off America’s 250th birthday weekend on Friday with a trip to Mount Rushmore. On Independence Day itself, he will hold a campaign-style political rally on the National Mall in Washington, along with flyovers by military jets and what he has billed as the world’s biggest fireworks display.
Trump supporters have introduced legislation to have his likeness chiselled beside those of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. But America under Trump is deeply divided at what should be a time of national unity. His approval ratings are near historic lows, fuelled largely by the war in Iran and the cost of living.
Trump’s attempts to stamp his political brand on America’s 250th anniversary have not always gone to plan. A “Great American State Fair” in the capital has drawn sparse crowds and widespread mockery for its empty booths. The July Fourth events come after Trump hosted a widely criticised Ultimate Fighting Championship cage fight on the White House lawn, during which one fighter shouted the false claim that former first lady Michelle Obama “is a man.”
As the United States marks two-and-a-half centuries of triumphs and tragedies, surveys show the nation is pessimistic about the chances of realising the “American Dream.” A Quinnipiac University Poll showed 61 per cent of Americans thought the US was not living up to the ideals stated in the Declaration of Independence. But for some, it’s still a time to celebrate.