Trump delivers his patriotic flag-filled Independence Day speech with WWII veterans, Gold Star families and the largest-ever fireworks display in US history

Donald Trump celebrated Independence Day with World War II veterans, Gold Star families and the largest firework display in US history, delivering a patriotic speech just hours after thousands were evacuated and told to seek shelter.

Trump also displayed one of the oldest American flags in existence during the celebration, as he noted the delays to the much awaited event.

‘I said it doesn’t work next week, this is the big day,’ Trump said. ‘We want July 4th, we’re not looking for July something else.’

‘If you think that was easy, it wasn’t,’ the President added.

During his speech, Trump brought Pearl Harbor survivor Captain Ken Schubring, 104, on stage as the crowd roared and he stood in front of a flag flown during World War II.

Trump also used the the Spanish–American War of 1898 to take a jab at Iran, remarking that the US sank ‘the entire Iranian Navy, 159 ships, to the bottom of the sea, all done in just a moment’s time.’

The President repeatedly blasted communism during his address, saying that ‘communists haven’t got a chance’ and ‘we don’t want communists in our country.’

‘The stars and stripes cast the hammer and sickle into oblivion before and we will do it again if necessary,’ Trump said.

The President called communism a ‘loser’ and ‘the opposite of the American system.’

‘It’s like a cancer, you got to cut it out,’ Trump added.

At a separate point, Trump brought out the Artemis II flight crew, as he lauded the US’ space capacities. 

The President touted the SAVE America Act during his remarks, which would require people to provide documentary proof of American citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.

‘And there will be no mail-in ballots except for illness, disability, military deployment or travel,’ he added. 

Trump also said the US stock market was the strongest it has ever been, as he said that ‘there is nothing that Americans can’t do and we are proving that right now.’ 

In total, Trump’s speech commemorating America’s 250th anniversary lasted just under 40 minutes. 

The commemoration started with a performance from American tenor Christopher Macchio, who sang Ave Maria and God Bless America.

Lee Greenwood followed Macchio, performing God Bless the USA and subsequently introducing the President.

The massive celebration was capped off by a huge fireworks show, with 850,000 fireworks launched. That marked the largest in US history, according to Reuters.

Trump commented on the display about half an hour past midnight on Truth Social, writing, ‘Best fireworks show, EVER!’

While the event was postponed, Trump posted shortly after 9pm: ‘Storms bring luck to whatever the occasion. They also make events a little bit more exciting! We will wait it out, I don’t care if it’s 2:00 O’Clock in the morning, or in one hour from now. 

‘It’s Saturday night, LETS HAVE SOME FUN, even if we are out late tonight. They say 11:00 O’Clock for the speech. Who cares???’ he added. 

After arriving, photos captured Trump in a temporary building as he waited to deliver remarks. The President was seen speaking with First Lady Melania Trump and appeared to be watching himself on television.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and House Speaker Mike Johnson were among those who joined Trump.

In a phone interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, the President said that if the veterans could storm the beaches of Normandy on D–Day, he could give his Independence Day address in bad weather. 

Trump was originally scheduled to speak at 9.45pm ET ahead of what is being billed as the world’s largest fireworks display to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday.

Thousands of Independence Day guests were forced to evacuate the National Mall as thunderstorms approached the capital. 

The Daily Mail was on the scene at the Mall when the evacuation orders were issued. Attendees were initially encouraged to head to the white tents that had been constructed for the Salute to America event, but a second announcement instructed them to head to three nearby federal buildings and take shelter.

At that point, revelers started booing the announcements. 

At another, someone onstage doing a mic check prompted a portion of the crowd to run back toward the stage, only to be pushed out again by Secret Service and other law enforcement. 

Flyovers continued after the crowd was asked to leave, doubling down on attendees’ resistance to exit. 

Amid the chaos, actor Dennis Quaid was spotted being shuttled through the crowd in a golf cart. 

Other MAGA names were part of the crowd, including Glenn Beck and his family, who were wearing matching T–shirts, and conservative activist Scott Presler.

Not everyone responded to the evacuations with anger, however. 

Clusters of attendees broke into song while slowly making their way toward the exits, belting out the national anthem as dark clouds formed above. 

Several USA chants were shouted as Maryland state troopers, Secret Service officers and US Park Police asked people to move.

On Wednesday, the President had promised to deliver a ‘really long speech’ despite the triple–digit heat, which already temporarily closed Friday’s Great American State Fair for several hours. 

‘Just to show that I can do anything,’ Trump said on Wednesday. ‘It’s gonna be 107.’

DC is under an extreme warning through 9pm tonight, while a severe thunderstorm warning is also in effect until 10pm. 

As of Saturday, the nation’s capital had a real feel temperature of 107, according to AccuWeather.

After the temporary shutdown, the organizers of the Salute to America event, Freedom 250, later said on X that Trump would give remarks at 11pm.

The Secret Service added that everyone who evacuated the site would need to be screened again upon reentry. 

Organizers urged guests to evacuate event grounds and seek temporary shelter in a nearby building. 

The Department of Education, Internal Revenue Service, VOA Building, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, National Museum of American History, National Museum of Natural History, and the Ronald Reagan Building were among those listed as shelters.

As of shortly before 8.30pm local time, the IRS building was at full capacity, the organizers said on X.

As some guests sheltered inside the Department of Agriculture building, they broke out into a rendition of the ‘The Star–Spangled Banner.’

Brooke Rollins, the Secretary of Agriculture, shared video on her X account while lauding the ‘incredible patriots.’ 

To battle the heat, cooling stations and tents, as well as water distribution points, had been set up for guests, who have come to DC from all over the nation.

Trump addressed the scorching weather again shortly before 3pm today on Truth Social.

‘Despite the heat, which isn’t as bad as predicted, the crowds in D.C. are INCREDIBLE!’ Trump wrote.

A temperature reading taken from the thousands of chairs came out at roughly 160 degrees on Saturday afternoon, NBC News reported.

The President also noted that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool at the National Mall ‘looks great, despite all it went through with the Vandal Thugs.’

‘Will quickly drain and fix the damage done right after this big weekend,’ Trump added.

The opening of the Great American State Fair was pushed back from 10am to noon today due to the heat, according to NBC Washington. People had braved the blazing heat and waited in lines for hours to get in.

The severe weather also caused evacuations in Boston, where thousands of revelers were evacuated the city’s esplanade due to the storms, MassLive reported.

The DC Fire and EMS Department treated 51 people for heat-related ailments on Saturday, according to CNN. 12 of those people were taken to the hospital. 

On Friday, 44 people were treated for heat–related illnesses at the National Mall event, which at one point was temporarily closed due to the weather.

From that group, 11 people were taken to the hospital, with seven in more serious condition, according to the outlet.

Other events have also been disrupted because of the brutal temperatures. That included the National Independence Day Parade in DC, which was suddenly canceled on Friday night.

The heat dome has engulfed the eastern part of the US and even turned deadly. As of Saturday night, more than 20 weather–related deaths had been reported.

At least 19 people in New Jersey have died from suspected heat–related causes, state authorities said Saturday, NJ.com reported.

Most of the deaths involved people in homes without air conditioning, according to New Jersey Health Commissioner Raynard E. Washington.

Some were found outside of their homes on the street or in parked cars, Washington added.

He stressed that some of the people who died were ‘younger adults.’

‘It’s important to note that the age ranges for these individuals were not just the elderly,’ Washington said, per the outlet.

Washington noted that this was ‘not a typical summer heat wave,’ as it could ‘become life–threatening really quickly.’

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that numerous temperature records were expected on Independence Day.

Philadelphia hit its third straight day of 101 degrees on Saturday, which marked the first time that ever happened, according to the weather service.

On Thursday, a 68–year–old man died from a heart attack due to heat exhaustion in Bethel Township, about 25 miles southwest of Philadelphia, according to CNN.

In Illinois, Cook County reported one death from organic cardiovascular disease with heat stress as a contributing factor, according to NBC News. 

Meanwhile, an at–risk missing 74–year–old man, Mitchell Ray Cooley, died in Jackson, Mississippi, on Thursday from heat exposure, WAPT reported. 

New York City reported temperatures in the high 90s throughout the day after days of triple–digit temperatures.

The city’s electric grid was under heavy strain due to the heat, with energy giant Con Edison asking some customers in Queens and Brooklyn to conserve energy.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported increasing rates of heat–related illness in the Northeast.

The extreme heat was expected to ease somewhat with thunderstorms expected across the east coast into Sunday night.