US Marks 250th Independence Anniversary as Trump Warns American Identity Is 'Under Attack'

The United States marked the 250th anniversary of its independence on Saturday with nationwide celebrations, as President Donald Trump used the historic milestone to warn that America's identity is facing renewed threats and to rally support ahead of November's midterm elections.

The anniversary comes at a politically charged moment for the United States, with the country experiencing deep partisan divisions while millions of Americans endure an intense heatwave that has disrupted Independence Day celebrations across several states.

According to US weather authorities, about 160 million people were under major or extreme heat warnings, forcing changes to parades, outdoor gatherings and community events in parts of the country.

Trump Takes Centre Stage

Trump was scheduled to headline Independence Day celebrations in Washington, where he planned a campaign-style rally on the National Mall featuring military flyovers and a large fireworks display.

Earlier, the president joked that despite temperatures expected to exceed 41 degrees Celsius (107°F), he intended to deliver an extended speech.

"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.

On Friday evening, the president addressed supporters at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, where he praised America's history while warning that the country's founding ideals were facing new challenges.

'American identity is under attack'

Speaking beneath the granite monument featuring former Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, Trump argued that the country's national identity was under renewed assault.

He accused what he described as domestic radicals and extremists of attempting to undermine American values.

"The American identity is under a renewed attack," Trump said.

He also alleged what he called "a resurgence of the communist menace in our land," continuing a theme he has frequently used in recent weeks as progressive Democrats recorded victories in several primary elections.

Trump has repeatedly portrayed the growing influence of the Democratic Party's left wing as a significant threat ahead of the November midterm elections.

According to the president, recent years have seen efforts to distance Americans from their history and national identity.

"There has been an attempt to beat the American spirit out of us, alienate us from our history," he said.

He added that while immigrants need not be born in the United States to become Americans, they must embrace the country's values.

"You do not have to be born here, but you do have to love what we have built."

Celebration Amid Political Divisions

The landmark anniversary has also prompted reflection on the state of the nation after two and a half centuries of history marked by independence, civil war, abolition of slavery, industrial growth and global conflicts.

Recent polling suggests Americans remain sharply divided over whether the country is living up to its founding ideals.

A Quinnipiac University survey found that 61 per cent of respondents believe the United States is not fully living up to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence, although opinions largely split along party lines.

For some Americans, the anniversary underscored frustrations over the country's direction.

Los Angeles artist Johnny Presley said political division and social tensions have overshadowed the celebration.

"There's too many people that hate on each other, steal from each other. They don't love each other," he said.

"I'm sick of the way this country treats people. I'm sick of the way this country treats its foreign neighbours."

Others said the anniversary served as a reminder of the freedoms the United States continues to offer.

Atlanta-based educator Karisa Tavassoli, an American of Iranian descent, said the country still provides opportunities unavailable in many parts of the world.

"I have safety, I have freedom of speech, I have freedom of religion, I can wear whatever I want as a woman," she said.

"There are many flaws here, but we have something very special that's worthy of protecting."

Meanwhile, Alonzo Coby, a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, welcomed the celebration while reminding Americans that Indigenous communities have lived on the continent long before the founding of the United States.

"I'm grateful to celebrate 250 years of the United States," he said. "But I want people to remember that Native Americans have been here a lot longer than 250 years."