President Donald Trump celebrated the eve of America's 250th birthday with a speech at Mount Rushmore National Memorial and a fireworks display on July 3. The event featured a 28-minute address by Trump, followed by a 23-minute pyrotechnic show over the iconic monument in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
In his speech, Trump highlighted American exceptionalism, stating, "We are a nation of dreamers and believers, warriors and explorers, doers and fighters and in every human endeavor Americans see an unfinished competition." He concluded his remarks by looking toward the future, saying, "This is only the beginning of the Golden Age of America. And together we will make America bigger, better, and stronger than ever before."
The fireworks display, which returned to Mount Rushmore for a rare July 3 event, incorporated quotes from past presidents and patriotic songs. The show began with words from George Washington's first inaugural address and included excerpts from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, Theodore Roosevelt's 1912 speech, Franklin D. Roosevelt's first inaugural address, and Ronald Reagan's remarks after the Challenger disaster. Other presidential quotes featured were from Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Trump's own inaugural address and 2026 State of the Union. The grand finale, lasting over two minutes, was set to Bob Sharples' "The Stars and Stripes Forever."
Trump's relatively brief speech, by his usual standards, was followed by a light and fireworks spectacle that illuminated the carved faces of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The event marked a patriotic celebration as the nation approached its 250th anniversary.
Trump is scheduled to deliver another address in Washington, D.C., promising a lengthy speech accompanied by what he described as the largest fireworks display in U.S. history.