Trump turns America 250 kickoff into a campaign-style rally on the
National Mall
[June 25, 2026]
By COLLIN BINKLEY, THOMAS BEAUMONT and JOSH BOAK
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump formally kicked off
celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary on Wednesday night by
working to get the country excited again — about himself.
The president hosted a rally on Washington's National Mall, including a
series of booming flyovers by stealth bombers, music from military
bands, and Lee Greenwood singing “God Bless the USA.”
“There has never been anything like the United States of America, and
together we are making it bigger and better and stronger and far more
exceptional than ever before,” Trump said.
He said he'd restored the country to greatness, proclaiming, ”Nobody's
laughing at us anymore."
As he does in all rally speeches, Trump championed his crackdown on the
U.S.-Mexico border and opposition to transgender rights. However,
perhaps in a nod to the anniversary celebrations, he was far less
critical of Democrats than usual — at least to a point.
“The American Dream is alive again. It’s something that nobody thought
they’d be saying when you went through that last four years of
incompetence,” Trump said.
The president also mentioned his tumultuous effort to revamp the
Reflecting Pool near the Lincoln Memorial and build a ballroom at the
White House.
Surprisingly, Trump wrapped his speech in less than half an hour —
making it one of the shortest rally addresses of his second term and
perhaps his entire political career. Just Tuesday, while addressing
workers at a truck factory in Pennsylvania, Trump spoke for well over an
hour.
Still, he found time to note that he'll again be addressing a Washington
rally on July Fourth, imploring, “Your favorite president will be
speaking so please show up.”
For Wednesday's speech, the crowd was contained to a segment of the
National Mall that was nearly full. From the stage, Trump could likely
see the neon colors of the giant Ferris wheel erected in front of the
Capitol.
Rally comes as midterms begin looming
Trump is working to convince Americans ahead of critical November
elections that he's put the unpopular Iran war in the rearview mirror,
with oil prices easing as the Strait of Hormuz has started to reopen in
the wake of an interim deal to end the war with Tehran.
The rally launched weeks of celebrations about America and its 1776
founding as part of “The Great American State Fair” on the mall, the
national park that stretches from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln
Memorial.
But Trump’s appearance was only announced after several musicians —
including Young MC, Martina McBride and the Commodores — canceled their
concerts because of concerns the event had become politicized.
Instead, among those addressing the crowd was Transportation Secretary
Sean Duffy, who slammed the musicians who backed out while declaring
that Trump is “the greatest president that’s ever existed in this
country since George Washington.”
The president himself told the crowd, “This is the beginning of the
golden age of America." He congratulated himself for ousting Venezuelan
President Nicolás Maduro — but made no mention of the earthquakes that
rocked that country Wednesday night.
Organizers distributed rectangular cardboard American flags that some
attendees used for shade before the sun went down and Trump took the
stage.
On the menu for the crowd: burgers, sausages and turkey legs. The
program felt like a summer concert, except for the variety of American
flag-themed outfits, from overalls to skirts to hats. There were also
plenty of “Make America Great Again” hats.
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People cheer as President Donald Trump speaks at the opening of the
Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Wednesday, June 24,
2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Attendees included Karen and Brian Ontrap, who drove 500-plus miles
from northwest Ohio with their children. They planned the trip in
January to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary and, for some in
the group, see Washington for the first time.
Karen Ontrap said the pair support the president “100%.”
Trump is pressing the case that he's made America better
The president has struggled to deliver the presidency that he
advertised to voters — causing his approval rating to dwell at a low
37%, according to the most recent Associated Press-NORC Center for
Public Affairs Research polling.
Democrats say his botched repairs to the reflecting pool and the
resulting algae outbreak are a sign that he’s spending taxpayer
money on vanity projects instead of the nation's legacy.
Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., said the Trump-affiliated group
organizing the 250th anniversary was selling access to special
interests and redrafting the nation's founding to the president's
liking, based on documents he presented at a congressional hearing
earlier this year.
“It should be about bringing us together,” Huffman said. “He's
trying to make this 250th celebration all about him.”
Only 33% of U.S. adults approve of Trump's economic leadership, with
favorability at 40% on immigration and 34% on Iran.
Trump's rallies can only help so much without improvements on
inflation
Inflation is still higher than what Trump inherited and it has been
outpacing wage growth. The budget deficit remains on a path upward
that keeps interest rates high. Investments in artificial
intelligence are driving growth, but they come with fears of
middle-class job losses such that the construction of data centers
needed for America’s tech economy have become controversial
politically.
Still, for many, Trump was the main attraction.
Jacob Wankasky and his family, traveling from Buffalo, New York,
peeled off a day early from their trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania,
when he and his wife, Jennifer, realized they could see Trump before
their planned visit Thursday to the State Fair with their children,
ages 4 and 6.
“It’s a once in a lifetime chance,” Jacob Wankasky said. In a bright
red “America Is Back” cap, the 42-year-old antique mall owner said
Trump’s return to the White House was a relief in a time of
“insanity.”
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Associated Press writers Will Weissert and Haya Pajwani in
Washington and Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed
to this report.
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