President Donald Trump marked the eve of America's 250th anniversary with a speech at Mount Rushmore, proclaiming the United States the "most exceptional nation ever to exist" and vowing it would "never be a Communist country."
Speaking on Friday, July 3, 2026, beneath the carved likenesses of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt, Trump lauded American exceptionalism as national festivities commenced. He stated that at 250 years, America is the oldest republic, the freest people, possesses the most enduring Constitution, and is the strongest country on Earth. "And by the grace of God, the United States of America is the most successful, most accomplished, most exceptional nation ever to exist in human history," Trump told the assembled crowd.
Trump asserted that no other country had achieved as much as the United States, calling its birth and survival "the best and most incredible thing ever to happen on this planet by human hands, ever." He added, "No other country has done more good for this world than the United States of America."
The president also addressed what he described as a growing communist movement aiming to undermine America's "exceptional character" and "alienate us from our history." He identified communism as the "greatest threat" facing the United States, comparing its danger to World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, and 9/11. "We're not going to let this happen to us. Believe me, we're not letting it happen, because communism is the enemy of free people," Trump stated.
He declared that communism is "the exact opposite of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness — it is death, tyranny and the pursuit of evil." Trump issued a directive to the audience: "You can be loyal to Karl Marx, or you can be loyal to America. You can be a communist, or you can be a patriot. You cannot be both."
Trump invoked historical sacrifices, referencing battles like Concord, Trenton, Gettysburg, Shiloh, Midway, and Normandy, stating that ancestors did not shed blood for the nation to be looted by "thieves, radicals and lunatics."
He highlighted the four presidents carved into the mountain as representatives of America's founding ideals, describing them as "men of action, men of ambition, men of daring, men of destiny, and men of truly great intelligence." Trump urged a rededication to being "a nation as big, bold, noble, and as great as these American giants."
Before Trump's remarks, the new Air Force One flew over Mount Rushmore, eliciting cheers from spectators. Following his speech, the president remained to watch a fireworks display over the Black Hills.
Trump was scheduled to deliver another speech on July 4 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., preceding a fireworks display celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary. "We know that this is not an ending," Trump said. "This is only the beginning of the golden age of America."