President Trump said he still plans to speak in Washington, D.C., after thunderstorms delayed celebrations in the nation’s capital.
Celebrations for the 250th anniversary of American independence were interrupted by bad weather in Washington, D.C., with President Donald Trump’s speech delayed due to thunderstorms.
Thousands of people gathered in the U.S. capital Saturday for Fourth of July celebrations, but were evacuated from the National Mall as the storm approached.
Recommended stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
However, the group organizing the event, Freedom 250, announced that they would be readmitted and Trump would speak at 11pm local time (3pm Japan time), an hour later than previously scheduled.
President Trump posted on social media: “No matter what, I’ll be there.” “It’s Saturday night, so let’s stay out late tonight and still have a good time.”
In New York City, authorities held a huge fireworks display to mark July 4th celebrations, but the show was moved up by 30 minutes due to the threat of storms.
The rain and thunder had stopped, allowing thousands of people to enjoy the spectacle.
Elsewhere, celebrations were canceled in Hartford, Conn., Harrisburg and Wilkes-Barre, Pa., due to inclement weather. Spectators at Boston fireworks shows and concerts have been told to temporarily evacuate until events can resume.
Evacuation orders were also issued in Philadelphia. Pittsburgh went ahead with its fireworks display, but changed the time to accommodate changing weather.
In Washington, D.C., crowds had grown on the National Mall in the hours before the evacuation. Visitors battled increased security and temperatures that reached 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) to enter the event.
Record-breaking heat has led to the cancellation of several parades and other events in the region.
“This is just part of the deal I signed,” Glenn Solander, 60, a software engineer visiting from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, said as he waited at the security checkpoint Saturday afternoon.
Other visitors included the white supremacist group Patriot Front.
The group posted on social media that it had arrived in the nation’s capital, and hundreds of people wearing the group’s costumes traveled into the city on the subway system that serves the District of Columbia area.
Local police said they had not received any reports of violence.
While past presidents have typically avoided attending Fourth of July celebrations in person, Trump is blurring the line between official commemorations and campaign-style politics.
The Trump administration’s group Freedom 250, largely absent from the bipartisan body created in 2016 to handle the nation’s 250th anniversary, has fenced off much of the 2.4-kilometer (1.5-mile) National Mall for the Great American State Fair, which features attractions such as a Ferris wheel alongside exhibits by conservative groups and defense contractors.
Freedom 250 said the trade show aims to showcase the people and innovations that make the United States “the greatest nation on earth.”
Several Democratic-led states declined to send delegations, and many scheduled performers withdrew, citing partisan concerns.
President Trump kicked off the event with a June 24 rally.
Other activities leveraging the Freedom 250 brand include a faith rally featuring primarily conservative Christians and multiple sporting events, including a mixed martial arts fight card on the White House grounds on June 14, President Trump’s 80th birthday.
An IndyCar race is scheduled to take place in Washington in August.
The Freedom 250 group also sponsors the “Freedom Track,” which critics say paints an overly religious picture of American history and ignores issues such as slavery and racial injustice.
President Trump has tried to remake large swaths of the nation’s capital ahead of the 250th anniversary, with mixed results. While many fountains and statues have been renovated, problems have plagued the much-touted $15 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool.
Surveillance cameras and soldiers now monitor the water, which is stained with peeling paint and algae.
