July 4 live: Trump’s ‘Great’ American State Fair emptied out as severe heat spoils the fun – UK Times

President Donald Trump will be joined at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota with his son Donald Trump Jr. and his wife Bettina Trump, as well as his daughter Tiffany Trump and her husband Michael Boulos.

Notably, first lady Melania Trump will not be in attendance.

Trump will give a speech at the American landmark to kick off a weekend of celebrations for the country’s 250th anniversary of independence.

President Donald Trump has departed Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and is heading to South Dakota to deliver a speech at Mount Rushmore.

The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for Washington, D.C., that is expected to last until 9 p.m. ET on Friday.

While temperatures will cool down during the night, the extreme heat warning will kick back in from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET on Saturday during celebrations for America’s 250th birthday, according to the weather service.

“Dangerously hot conditions each afternoon with heat index values between 110 to 115 expected,” the weather service warned.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and protests against racial injustice, Trump walked on a stage at the foot of Mount Rushmore in 2020 in the midst of national crisis.

Dozens of Native American protesters condemned his Fourth of July appearance at the sacred Sioux Nation site and tried to to block a road to the event. National Guard troops fired pepper spray at several protesters, and a dozen people were arrested moments before the president arrived.

Rather than a call for national unity, the president launched into an address that promised a cultural civil war against Americans while labeling international demonstrations against police violence as a “growing danger that threatens every blessing our ancestors fought so hard for.”

He accused protesters, journalists and educators of embracing “far-left fascism” that is “designed to overthrow the American revolution”.

“Their goal is to end America,” he declared. “In its place they want power for themselves.”

He returns to the landmark tonight.

President Donald Trump’s Freedom 250 group is hosting a “Salute to America” event all day long on the National Mall Saturday to celebrate 250 years of American independence.

• 10 a.m. ET: Great American State Fair opens
• 1:15 p.m. ET: Aircraft flyovers begin
• 7 p.m. ET: Salute to America live program begins
• 9:45 p.m. ET: Trump delivers a speech
• 10:30 p.m. ET: Annual fireworks display

White House reporters have yet to see President Donald Trump on Friday, according to a report by the press pool shortly after 5 p.m. ET.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who unsuccessfully ran against President Donald Trump in 2024, has issued a July 4 message about hope.

“America has always been a work in progress.

“What has carried our nation forward is not the absence of challenges, but the willingness of ordinary people to meet them with hope, courage, and action.

“As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday this weekend, we must continue to fight for one another, our democracy, and the promise of what we can build together,” Harris wrote on X.

Trump bought between $100,001 and $250,000 in shares of Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia on April 8, according to CNBC analysis of his financial disclosure.