United States celebrates 250th birthday amid heat waves and political tension | Today’s news
WASHINGTON (AP) — The 250th anniversary of America’s independence collides with a country gripped by political polarization and a heat wave affecting millions of people in many states as celebrations take place across the United States on Saturday.
America celebrates its 250th Independence Day
The signing of the Declaration of Independence, one of the most famous expressions of democratic ambition in history, is marked in countless ways.
President Donald Trump plans to speak on the National Mall before what is billed as the largest fireworks display in history to rain down on the nation’s capital. On Friday, he was in South Dakota at Mount Rushmore, where he delivered a dark speech about the threat of communism in the USA
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The 250th anniversary of American independence is marked by various celebrations, including fireworks, parades and events reflecting the nation’s history, despite the challenges of extreme heat and political tension.
Many Independence Day celebrations are facing cancellation due to an extreme heat wave affecting large parts of the US, with temperatures in many areas exceeding 100 degrees.
Extreme heat poses significant health risks, including heat-related illness, exhaustion and potentially fatal conditions, forcing officials to cancel or modify outdoor events.
The political climate, characterized by polarization and tension, adds a complex layer to the 250th birthday celebrations, fueling discussions about national ideals and the meaning of freedom.
Event schedules were adjusted or postponed, such as the cancellation of the main parade in Washington, DC and the delay of other festivities due to heat warnings.
Fireworks are scheduled to go off over Navy Pier in Chicago and against the city skyline New York City. New York held a midnight ball to kick off the holiday with the same fanfare as New Year’s Eve, and saw tall ships sail past the Statue of Liberty, reminiscent of the fanfare around America’s 200th anniversary in 1976.
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 4: A woman dressed as an eagle with red, white and blue wings looks on during the Fourth of July “Salute to America 250” celebration near the National Mall on July 4, 2026 in Washington, DC. Americans are celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary amid an extreme heat wave that is bringing dangerous triple-digit temperatures to much of the eastern United States. Finn Gomez/Getty Images/AFP (Photo: Finn Gomez / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)
Anticipation for the milestone had been building for most of the year, and it served as an opportunity for Americans to reflect on their complicated history as former colonists of empire who became their own superpower. Months of celebrations ahead have had to completely modify or cancel activities as much of the East Coast has been scorched by heat approaching and in many cases exceeding triple digits.
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Undeterred, a U.S. Marine from Guinea became a newly minted citizen at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Virginia, wearing a sharp dress uniform and a tiny smile as a 7-year-old boy raced down the parade route in Brattleboro, Vermont, to grab a Tootsie Roll. In Louisville, Kentucky, people used a Sharpie equipped with a nib to scribble their signatures on a copy of the Declaration of Independence.
The big weekend is determined by the heat in many places.
In Washington, a rodeo and the city’s main Independence Day parade scheduled for Saturday were canceled, but a smaller one rolled through Capitol Hill in the morning as onlookers sought shade under trees along the route. Dozens of members of the white nationalist group Patriot Front also marched in the area wearing face masks and carrying Confederate battle flags. No arrests have been reported, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
An extreme heat warning has been issued for the District of Columbia, where heat index values could approach 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 C). Organizers of Saturday’s events on the National Mall said they were monitoring the weather. Three-degree heat was also forecast from the US southeast to New England, although the heat could ease somewhat later with strong thunderstorms.
In Philadelphia, fireworks began exploding at noon in the nation’s birthplace near the site where the Declaration of Independence was adopted by delegates to the Second Continental Congress. Hundreds of visitors thronged Independence Hall in sweltering heat to await the celebrations, which coincided with the France-Paraguay World Cup knockout match at Philadelphia Stadium, which kicked off commemorations of the holiday.
The Blue Angels, a U.S. Navy Air Demonstration Squadron, perform as part of Fourth of July celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. Independence in Washington, DC, U.S., July 4, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY(REUTERS)
“It’s one big party here,” said Carlos Alban, who traveled to Philadelphia from Chicago to watch the game when he arrived at the stadium, adding that he spotted a fan dressed as one of the Founding Fathers in the parking lot.
About 45 minutes before the second World Cup game in Houston, a message was sent to the stadium from astronauts aboard the International Space Station stating that the holiday.
In New York’s Coney Island, contestants at the annual Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July eat hot dogs. competition.
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Joey “Jaws” Chestnut won for the 18th time in 21 appearances, eating 66 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. On the women’s side, defending champion Miki Sudo of Tampa, Fla., held the title as she shot 38.75 dogs. Both champions said the heat wave made the competition more difficult.
Tall ships, with masts, rigging and white sails silhouetted against the blue sky, set out in procession past the Statue of Liberty and up the Hudson River.
The 43 ships were followed by a display of air power with a stealth bomber and Navy Blue Angels. The Patrouille de France, the aerobatic teams of the French Air Force, flew over New York Harbor with their red, white and blue trails evoking images of the American flag.
At George Washington’s Mount Vernon, people took the oath of allegiance to become US citizens. They stood with eyes closed and hands over their hearts for the national anthem.
A restless nation is about to celebrate
The celebrations unfold against the backdrop of a deep divide this election year that has been widening for years, visible in everything from political expression to cultural norms to age-old issues of race, class and immigration.
At Mount Rushmore on Friday, Trump referred to communism as a “mortal threat to American freedom,” with the Republican president saying it was more dangerous than a world war or 9/11.
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Without naming Trump, the mayor of New York Zohran Mamdanithe democrat, who is also a democratic socialist and has recently endorsed several successful congressional candidates in their primaries, made an apparent reference to trump during a speech on friday.
“These ideals that our nation was built on – they are strong enough to withstand any authoritarian regime, but only if we reach for them,” he said.
Vice President JD Vance said small but loud voices will speak of America’s imperfections instead of its greatness on America’s birthday.
“They will tell you that America is just another country where the weak fight against the strong,” Vance said aboard the USS Kearsarge in New York Harbor.
(Associated Press writers Luis Andres Henao in Philadelphia, Kristie Rieken in Houston, Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Va., Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, S.C., Safiyah Riddle in Los Angeles and Jesse Bedayn, Will Weissert and Michael Kunzelman contributed to this report.)
