‘America Is Back’: Trump Launches 250th Anniversary Celebration with Thunderous Flyovers and a Call to Patriotism

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump kicked off the Great American State Fair Wednesday evening with a stirring address on the National Mall, declaring that “America is back” as military flyovers, including B-2 bombers and F-35 stealth fighter jets, thundered overhead and the U.S. Marine Band set the stage for a celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary. “Just like those patriots of 1776, over the past 17 months, we have taken power back from the far off political class,” Trump told a crowd gathered for the opening ceremony, framing his political movement alongside the spirit of the American Revolution. “We have reclaimed our sovereignty, regained our liberty, restored our prosperity, and we have saved our country in all things. We are once again putting a thing called America first.” The president walked out to Lee Greenwood performing “God Bless the U.S.A.” before delivering remarks that touted sweeping improvements to the nation’s capital—from the removal of homeless encampments and graffiti to the restoration of monuments, memorials, and the Reflecting Pool, which he said had been “gruesomely vandalized by thugs” who are now “largely been caught and are being prosecuted.”

Trump previewed a series of ambitious anniversary projects, including a new White House ballroom, a “triumphal arc” near Arlington Cemetery, the National Garden of American Heroes in West Potomac Park, and a “Spirit of ’76” exhibition at Freedom Plaza. The fair, which runs from Wednesday through July 10, will showcase all 50 states and six U.S. territories with exhibits, high-tech demonstrations, a FIFA fan zone, and even an “old fashioned rodeo.” The president also teased a massive Fourth of July celebration featuring “the largest fireworks display in world history,” along with the Patriot Games and a Freedom 250 Grand Prix race around the Capitol. “This anniversary is a time to be proud of our past,” Trump declared, “but it is also a time to lift our sights, expand our ambitions, and raise our expectations of what America can be. The best is yet to come.” Joined by House Speaker Mike Johnson, Cabinet officials, and what he described as “countless” members of Congress, Trump closed by invoking the Founding Fathers and generations of Americans who built and defended the nation. “We are one people, one nation, marching into one magnificent future under our great American flag. Happy birthday, America.”