Trump kicks off America 250 with a campaign-style rally on the National Mall
By: Josh Boak (The Independent)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
In a video released Monday night, Trump declared the event would be 'the biggest rally we've ever had'
President Donald Trump is preparing to transform America's 250th anniversary into a personal political spectacle, headlining a rally on the National Mall Wednesday.
The event, framed as a celebration of the nation's 1776 founding, is expected to feature a military flyover by stealth bombers, military bands, a performance by singer Lee Greenwood, and a speech from Trump himself.
The rally comes as Trump seeks to bolster his political standing ahead of crucial November midterm elections. He aims to convince Americans that the unpopular Iran war is behind them, citing easing oil prices and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz following an interim peace deal with Tehran.
Initially conceived as part of "The Great American State Fair" on the national park stretching from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, the event faced early setbacks. Several musicians, including Young MC, Martina McBride, and The Commodores, canceled their appearances, expressing concerns that the celebration had become overly politicized. Trump then announced his own participation.
Taking to social media, Trump hyped his role, stating: "I am thinking about bringing the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World, the man who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime, and he does so without a guitar, the man who loves our Country more than anyone else, and the man who some say is the Greatest President in History."
In a video released Monday night, he further declared the event would be "the biggest rally we've ever had," adding, "It's our music, our playlist. We don't have a lot of people boring you with songs you don't want to hear. We have the hottest people."
Adding to the lineup, country singer Alexis Wilkins, identified as the longtime girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel, confirmed her performance at Wednesday's event via a post on X Tuesday afternoon.
Trump is pressing the case that he's made America better
Trump has struggled to deliver the presidency that he advertised to voters — causing his approval rating to dwell at a low 37%, according to the most recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research polling.
Democrats say his botched repairs to the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool and the resulting algae outbreak are a sign that he's spending taxpayer money on vanity projects instead of the nation's legacy.
Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., said the Trump-affiliated group organizing the 250th anniversary was selling access to special interests and redrafting the nation's founding to the president's liking, based on documents he presented at a congressional hearing earlier this year.
"It should be about bringing us together," Huffman said. "He's trying to make this 250th celebration all about him."
open image in galleryAn arch is pictured as preparations continue for the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Monday, June 22, 2026 (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Trump's fondness for showmanship has not been a match for public anxiety about his presidency. Only 33% of U.S. adults approve of his economic leadership, with favorability at 40% on immigration and 34% on Iran.
"It's clear that Trump's preoccupations in his second term — from Iran to the Washington reflecting pool — are not those of most members of his base, let alone other Americans," said Daniel Treisman, a politics professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. "That explains his unusually low approval ratings."
Trump's rallies can only help him so much without concrete improvements on inflation
Inflation is still higher than what Trump inherited and it has been outpacing wage growth. The budget deficit remains on a path upward that keeps interest rates high. Investments in artificial intelligence are driving growth, but they come with fears of middle-class job losses such that the construction of data centers needed for America's tech economy have become controversial politically.
Trump has fueled dramas over tariffs, NATO, immigration, ownership of Greenland and his own renovations of iconic buildings and monuments in Washington — generating a flood of controversy that has pushed things the administration sees as accomplishments — such as the capture of Venezuela's former leader Nicolas Maduro — off the public radar.
James Snyder, a Harvard University professor, has partnered on research showing that past rallies have helped Trump turn out his supporters to vote, in the short-term. But he noted that Wednesday's rally comes more than four months before the November midterm elections, and is unlikely to have a politically strategic benefit for Republicans.
"I would not expect that the rally would have any clear effect on the 2026 midterm elections," Snyder said.
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I think this thing has "military parade debacle" written all over it. The sight of it certainly does not resemble honest 4th of July patriotism.
Maybe Trump will declare Robert E Lee went into battle riding on a drone.
I wish....I wish...
I can't say it here
Excited for it yet ?
Nyet
Who the fuck is Alexis Wilkins? Never heard of the twatwaffle. And she's a twatwaffle because she's fucking Kash Patel
Twatwaffle: noun - token country barbies that have sex for Kash
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I thought conservatives were the experts on gender, so how do they explain Michelle Obama's children? Did Barack give birth out his ass? Were they genetically created in a lab in Honolulu while the 'deep state' time traveled back to place their fathers birth notice in the paper in 1961?
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I thought the celebration of Americas 250th was supposed to be non partisan.
this you tube stream today is allegedly there to celebrate america, but in reality it is a compendium of trump worship, wackoism, and and MAGA propaganda
I don't think conservatives know what "non-partisan" actually means. They clearly define it as "undying loyalty to Donald Trump". It's like how some words will undergo a semantic change over time, like the word "Nice" that was derived from the Latin nescius (meaning "ignorant" or "foolish") but now can mean 'pleasant' or 'agreeable'.
Once upon a time 'nonpartisan' meant 'being free from political party affiliation, bias, or favoritism'. It's beyond obvious that rightwing conservative Trump supporters no longer define it as such. They revel in their partisanship while simultaneously, and hypocritically, demand nonpartisanship and objectivity from their opponents.
Again...nyet
This celebration is only for the MAGGATs that worship at the feet of the Golden Pig. Even those of us who served our country faithfully are not invited because we don't "fit in" and actually love our country instead of a bastardized version of it
woman interviewed by far right nutjob tv channel RSBN at the supposed non partisan 250th celebration has on a "Lets Go Brandon" t shirt and a Trump 2028 cap.
I can't listen to the truly stupid any more.
i hear ya
Are you saying that the attendees of the celebration should be banned from wearing their own items of clothing
I think rightwing conservatives should be able to wear whatever they want, even if it does identify them as being a part of the stupidest group of people on the planet.
This what the seating situation looks like an hour before Trump is scheduled to speak
And?
Got any pictures of when he began speaking?
Of course not because your idiotic argument would be shot to hell.
If there a large crowd there I think his lackey tv networks would be showing the crowd. They are not.
You need to watch it live. The stage area is packed.
Your picture was hours before anything started.
I am watching it live. It looks like about 10,000 at the most. This is supposed to be the greatest Trump rally ever.
It could be a million people and you would find a reason to complain about it.
Which accounts for what? MAYBE 100 people? LOL
there would be more, but gas is still too expensive for most of his gullible and moronic supporters to afford ...
The official White House You Tube channel, which is showing the event live, has turned off comments . ROFL.
Probably tired of the "hate America" comments a lot of leftists are flooding the site with
"Leftist's" don't hate America. They hate the destruction of America at the tiny hands of a convicted felon that some brainless bigots elected. Aren't you tired of defending that lying sack of shit? You KNOW he's a liar. Why do you continue to stand up for his failures?
And where have Republicans apparently been?
Trump sycophants are just so fucking gross and stupid it's not even funny anymore.
It doesnt sound like the crowd is into it. Maybe the microphones suck.
Hating America isn’t enough anymore, they now vote for supporters of the total eradication of Western civilization.
the only thing they seem to like is October 7.
Do you approve of the piece of shit Trump turning a national 4th of July celebration into a lie filled political rally?
Oh wait I forgot, you cant find the muster to criticize the piece of shit.
Your party just voted for and will support a communist congresswoman who uses the flag as a napkin, wants to eradicate western civilization and sees 10/7 as a great victory as well as a Nazi tattoo wearing terrorist trainer who called the Virgin Mary a skank and cheered for a wounded American soldier to die.
You really want to act outraged over Trump throwing a rally? Congrats on supporting candidates so absurd and cartoonishly evil they make Trump seem normal. Didn't think it could be done, but here we are.
LOL. You are comparing an unknown congressional candidate to the great Donald Trump? I think he would be upset with you Sean.
Does that make it okay for your party to support her? Because she's not as famous as Trump? Irrational, crazy anti-Americanism is fine and dandy with the democrats as long nobody makes a bother?
Why did Trump skip over the ending of slavery when he gave his list of Americas greatest achievements tonight? He is a despicable human being, unpatriotic, and a traitor and you constantly turn a blind eye.
Is that really worse than calling for the elimination of western civilization in your book?
Because if you get rid of western civilization, actual slavery will be making a comeback in short order.
You must not have much faith in western civilization.
But yet you (collective you) continuously call Trump a "threat to democracy".
How is that any different?
How many civilizations have been destroyed over the course of the world? The barbarians always win, eventually. [deleted][✘]
Trump has power.
The entertainers are almost exclusively member of the military, who are singing Trumps favorite pop songs.
I guess the effort to get a few big names came up short.
You can always count on the military because they can be ordered
Secretary of Transportation asshole Sean Duffy just told the gathering that Trump is the greatest president since George Washington. He is writing Lincoln out of America's 250.
He also used the word "libtards" in his opening remarks.
that's not fair. I'm not allowed to call somebody a libtard on NT
Or Trumptard. The politeness police will issue citations.
As expected Trump's opening remarks included an attack on the Biden administration.
I shit you not, Trump gave his list of America's great achievements and did not mention the ending of slavery and the Civil War.
Not surprised, that would upset a lot of his base, they don't like their ancestor's dirty laundry getting dragged out into the light. I'm glad I'm not watching. No point tuning in to a shit show of conservative brain rot from the dumbest people on the planet. I'd rather watch 'American Woodshop' on PBS and watch some lacquer dry. You actually learn how to build things and its more interesting.
I'd like to see an interviewer ask Trump for one fact about Thomas Jefferson other than that he wrote the Declaration of Independence and was a president. I'd bet money he'd have nothing and couldnt even say Jefferson was the third president.
sucker bet
Admit I did not watch it, forgot about this going on actually. Sorry, have more pressing things in life and admittedly too lazy to look up but have questions for the group:
So, I take it this Freedom 250 takes over the America 250 event(s)?
Supposing this had 10K attendees, with the report of many people leaving during his speech, what did they expect it to be? Was it that there was no beer / alcohol being served? Did they not know Trump said he was going to kick things off with a speech, i.e. turn this into a Trump rally?
Are things going to be televised each day?
Last I heard, Milli (or was it Vanilli) was still going to perform? As well as Vanilla Ice, C&C Music Factory. Is it now just C&C with tone deaf Kash GF performing with them? Does she have the pipes?
Why should anyone attend, watch this when the 250 anniversary should be about coming together and celebrating as one, having shared ideals, thoughts and taking a break from the day-to-day BS, when this seems like it's nothing more than a celebration of divisiveness, BS and self-grandiose dick-riding event?
Last nights event was America 250, so I guess Trump has taken over that brand too.
freedom 250 is a partisan maga clone that trump is funneling taxpayer funds towards with no bid contracts and grants. it's basically the same organization that sponsored the J6 pre-insurrection get together of hate speech and treason instigation on the ellipse in 2021. the america 250 organization was a bipartisan organization created by congress, IIRC, for america's 250th anniversary.
Thanks, that's the way I read & understood it. But like JohnRussell stated, Trump cosplayed that into his Yea Trump-Nay Everybody Else Crap-tastic Celebration.
this is the entire crowd at the rally last night
If thats 45,000 people (as Trump claimed this morning) I am Howard Hughes.
It's not the size of the crowd that would have made the rally impressive; it's the collective IQ that didn't reach triple digits that defines it as the greatest gathering of the dumbest fucking people in America. It's not hard to identify these morons. If they're still defending Trump and continuing to lie for the convicted felon and worst President in history, then they leave no question in observers minds as to how monumentally stupid and gullible they are.