Trump defies storms, delivers patriotic Fourth of July speech to massive DC crowd

President Donald Trump delivered a historic Fourth of July address Saturday night after severe weather delayed the event for more than an hour, with a massive fireworks display following his remarks as part of the nation’s 250th Independence Day celebration.

Trump had originally been scheduled to speak at 9:45 pm on the National Mall, but thunderstorms and lightning forced officials to evacuate the area. The National Park Service ordered attendees to leave the National Mall as storms moved through Washington, DC, with signs at the Great American State Fair directing participants to seek shelter in nearby buildings. While many complied, a significant number of supporters remained gathered near the Lincoln Memorial.

As the weather delay continued, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the event would proceed no matter what, writing that he was willing to wait until “2 am” if necessary because he was “not going to let some rain stop our 250th.” After the storms passed, the National Mall reopened to spectators, and the Secret Service had to re-screen attendees before allowing them back into the area.

Trump told the crowd that approximately 375,000 people had attended before the evacuation, and said roughly 150,000 remained. During his speech, the president praised America as the greatest nation in history and reflected on the determination and resilience of the American people.

"In this country, we could achieve the wildest and most impossible dreams, and no dream in history is bigger or more incredible than the one that started on July 4th, 1776," Trump said. "The war for independence was launched by minutemen, farmers, blacksmiths, tradesmen who took up their muskets against the mightiest army on earth, the most powerful army and unbeatable army – until they met us."

"No one made them do it. They fought because they knew that a free people must have a free country,” he continued. “Over 250 years, the world has seen the great empires, vast kingdoms, mighty nations and terrible tyrants: They came and they went, but after 2 1/2 centuries, this American republic still stands tall and strong.”

"Americans won the West and built the modern world, because America is a nation of winners, and today our country is winning again, and we're winning like never before,” he said.

The president also emphasized the American military and its leadership on the world stage.

"Together, we are also reasserting the truth that American strength and power is not something to be ashamed of. It is something that we are very, very proud of," Trump said. "This country has been the greatest force for peace and justice on earth in the last century. We defeated tyrants, demolished evil, and saved freedom again and again and again."

Trump also took aim at communism multiple times during his speech.

“The communist system is the opposite of the American system, and the communist system has never worked. Our warriors did not fight communism on battlefields across the world, only to have that menace rear its ugly head right back here in America,” he said.

Toward the conclusion, Trump struck an optimistic tone. He said that there is “no challenge Americans can not overcome,” “no place we cannot go,” “no goal we cannot reach,” and “nothing that Americans cannot do."

The speech concluded shortly before one of the largest fireworks displays in the country’s history. Organizers said roughly 850,000 firework shells from 10 different locations were launched, capping a daylong event of celebrating the country’s birthday.