President Trump is scheduled to speak at 9:45 p.m. ET tonight on the National Mall as part of the Salute to America Celebration marking the nation’s 250th birthday, according to USA Today and Freedom 250 organizers. The address comes as Washington faces record-high heat, with temperatures expected to reach around 101 degrees, though the heat index could feel closer to 107 degrees.
The speech will kick off what Freedom 250 bills as the “World’s Largest Fireworks Display,” set to begin at 10:30 p.m. ET. The fireworks show, expected to last about 40 minutes, will launch 850,000 fireworks shells from 10 sites around Washington, including the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Potomac River barges, and West Potomac Park, according to USA Today.
Trump has promised a lengthy address. Earlier in the week, he vowed to deliver “a really long speech just to show that I can do anything,” according to USA Today, despite the extreme heat conditions. The event follows a daylong celebration that kicked off at 1 p.m. ET, featuring military flyovers and musical performances from the Joint Armed Forces Orchestra.
Tonight’s National Mall speech is Trump’s second major address in as many days. On July 3, he delivered remarks at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, where he hailed the United States as “the most exceptional nation ever to exist,” according to Fox News. In that speech, Trump warned of what he characterized as a communist threat to the nation, according to NPR, veering from the typically apolitical tone of past Independence Day addresses.
The speech can be watched live on Freedom 250.org and the Freedom 250 YouTube channel, as well as on ABC News and other network websites, according to USA Today.
Sources
- USA Today — Trump’s 9:45 p.m. ET speech time, fireworks details, heat forecast, and his promise of a long speech
- Freedom 250 — Official event organizer; confirmed 9:45 p.m. ET speech time and 10:30 p.m. ET fireworks start
- Fox News — Trump’s Mount Rushmore speech on July 3, quote on American exceptionalism
- NPR — Trump’s Mount Rushmore speech focus on communism warnings
