A prominent progressive political strategist has criticized Donald Trump's America 250 fireworks display, describing the event as disorganized and overly intense. Jon Cooper, a former advisor to President Obama, took to X on Monday to share his assessment.
Cooper's remarks were accompanied by footage of the 'grand fireworks finale' that concluded the July 4th celebrations. He noted the display was delayed until July 5th due to record-breaking heat, writing, 'Trump’s July 4th finale - which was so poorly planned it didn’t actually take place until July 5th - looked less like a fireworks show and more like the end of the world.' The sentiment was echoed by NFL analyst Warren Sharp, who commented on the footage, 'End the show by making it look like the Capitol was nuked.'
The display featured an estimated 850,000 explosives, described by some as the largest in history. Democratic commentator Joanne Carducci offered a more colorful critique, calling it 'the pyrotechnical equivalent of [a] hump happy terrier relentlessly mounting an elderly, deaf and blind cat.'
Cooper, who served as the Long Island Campaign Chair for Obama's 2008 presidential campaign and was a significant fundraiser for his reelection bid, has become a vocal critic of Donald Trump. He previously declined to support Hillary Clinton's presidential bid in 2007 and in 2015, chaired a Democratic super PAC aimed at encouraging Joe Biden to run for president.
Donald Trump, who was in attendance, praised the fireworks in a post on Truth Social. The official White House X account also characterized the pyrotechnics display as a success, stating, 'PARTY IN THE USA. Best fireworks show, EVER.'
The intensity of the fireworks left a haze over Washington, D.C.'s skyline. A 'Code Red Air Quality Alert' was issued, advising residents to limit outdoor activities due to poor air quality. The alert specifically warned seniors, children, and individuals with respiratory conditions like asthma to take precautions. By Monday morning, the air quality had improved to a Code Yellow level.