Donald Trump commenced the kickoff for America's 250th birthday celebrations with a visit to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. He was accompanied by his son Don Jr. and Don Jr.'s newlywed wife, Bettina, as well as his daughter Tiffany and her husband, Michael Boulos, for the event on Friday. The trip marks Trump's return to the national memorial, where he previously held a controversial pre-Fourth of July event in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump boarded the new Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews on Friday evening for the journey. Prior to his departure, the group had attended the Great American State Fair in Washington D.C., with Bettina and Tiffany sharing a mirror selfie along the Presidential Walk of Fame at the White House.
Bettina Trump later posted an image on Instagram featuring a cookie decorated with Mount Rushmore and an added likeness of Trump. The event is part of what is described as a "Trumpified celebration of America's 250th birthday," organized by Freedom 250, a group Trump established by executive order in January 2025 to oversee the semiquincentennial festivities. This initiative is separate from America250, a bipartisan commission formed in 2016 by Congress to plan the anniversary. The existence of two planning groups has reportedly led to complications, including the cancellation of musicians booked for the Great American State Fair.
The fair itself has faced challenges, including power outages, low attendance, and extreme heat, with Washington D.C. reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday, causing the fair to be postponed. The Mount Rushmore event is taking place in South Dakota amidst drought conditions.
Fireworks and Environmental Concerns
The Mount Rushmore event includes a fireworks display, the lifting of which was reinstated during President Joe Biden's tenure after being halted in 2009 due to wildfire risks. Despite the current drought conditions, state and federal agencies were expected to make a go or no-go decision on the fireworks, with the U.S. Wildland Fire Service creating a fire response plan.
Trump is scheduled to speak around 9:45 p.m. ET, followed by what is advertised as the "World's Largest Fireworks Display" at 10:30 p.m. Organizers noted that if Trump's speech runs long, the display could extend into July 5th. The extreme heat is also a factor for a subsequent "Salute to America" celebration on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., where temperatures were forecast to reach 101 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday.
Trump has indicated his intention to proceed with his events despite the heat. He is expected to return to Washington early Saturday morning for the National Mall event.
Legislative Proposal
Separately, a bill has been introduced in Congress by Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna that proposes adding Trump's face to Mount Rushmore, which currently features Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt.
Trump's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic was previously cited as a factor in his 2020 reelection loss. The fireworks display at Mount Rushmore in 2020 also drew criticism amid the pandemic. Trump is set to fly into South Dakota on new Air Force One, reportedly gifted by Qatar.