The nation’s 250th has been on President Donald Trump’s mind for years. In May 2023, then-candidate Trump previewed his plans for “the most spectacular birthday party,” should he win reelection.
“On day one, I will convene a White House task force called Salute to America 250,” Trump said in a video announcement. “It will be responsible for coordinating with state and local governments to ensure not just one day of celebration but an entire year of festivities across the nation, starting on Memorial Day 2025 and continuing through July 4, 2026.”
Trump promised a Great American State Fair to showcase the best of all 50 states. Other promises were the Patriot Games, a high school sporting contest, and a “Garden of American Heroes,” a new statuary park. Trump added that he would invite leaders and citizens of other nations to visit the United States for the 250th anniversary and that he would host an event in Washington to rededicate the country to God.
Three years later, nearly all his ideas have come to fruition. While some events will continue past Independence Day, many will culminate in a rally-like speech from the president and a gigantic fireworks display on the National Mall.
“I will be speaking at approximately 9 P.M., preceding the Fireworks which again, like the Airshow, will be approximately ten times larger than any Fireworks in the History of our Country. So, if you like Airplanes and Fireworks and President Trump, be there!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
The president has made it very clear that he cares about superlatives. This year, he wants to add a new record: the largest fireworks display not just in Washington history or even national history, but worldwide. A small church in the Philippines holds the Guinness World Record for shooting 810,904 fireworks in 2016 for New Year celebrations. At least 850,000 are planned for Saturday in Washington.
The Pennsylvania-based Pyrotecnico has the contract to put on the fireworks display this year. The special effects company is known for its fireworks and drone light shows for concerts and tour events such as the Moana Global Tour, the NBA Playoffs, and the NFL draft.
In the past, around 20,000 fireworks have been shot from the National Mall for roughly 20 minutes. This year, Pyrotecnico will shoot 40 times that from 10 different locations, including from barges on the Potomac River, for around 40 minutes.
The ambitious plans have complicated public access. In any other year, Washingtonians and tourists flock to the National Mall with lawn chairs, umbrellas, and coolers to wait for the fireworks. But this year, because the president himself will be on the grounds, the Secret Service has designated it a special security event, which means stringent security protocols. Attendees now may not bring any outside food, coolers, chairs, and only a small clear bag. The cutoff time for entry is 6 p.m., but the fireworks display has been pushed back to at least 10:30 p.m. to accommodate the president’s speech.
The responsibility for the nation’s Independence Day observance has also changed hands a few times. Typically, the National Park Service manages the fireworks display and public viewing areas. The congressionally appointed America250 committee was also in charge of putting on various events to commemorate the 250th. But after the White House established Freedom 250 as a private-public partnership, that group took over planning for nearly all the Washington-based events.
In December 2024, Trump awarded Justin Caporale, an events planner, with the role of his executive producer for major events and public appearances. Caporale is former CEO of Event Strategies, Inc., the same organization that planned Trump’s Ellipse rally on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump also credited Caporale as the brains behind many of his rallies and notable events such as the Madison Square Garden rally and a ride on a garbage truck during the 2024 campaign. In fiscal year 2026 alone, Event Strategies has been awarded 14 government contracts totaling $27.9 million. It is unclear how much, if any, of that sum is for Freedom 250 activities.
On Thursday, House Natural Resources Committee Democrats released a 55-page investigative report claiming that Trump is using the nation’s 250th to promote vanity projects and pay personal favors. The report details ESI’s involvement in commemorative events. It also reports that Freedom 250 is using Campaign Nucleus, a program owned by Trump campaign operative and former administration official Brad Parscale, for ticket registrations for the FIFA Fan Zone, the fireworks display, and other events in D.C. Parscale has said that his company can use artificial intelligence to send customized emails and analyze likely voter behavior from users.
“To move money and favors outside the ordinary rules, the White House captured an independent institution, placed its funds in a nonprofit that is not required to name donors, solicited parties at home and abroad, and directed federal contracts to the President’s operatives. The design left no one accountable, and it worked,” the report reads.
The information Democrats published is based on anonymous interviews and publicly available data. Congress appropriated roughly $120 million over the past 10 years to America250, the bipartisan committee. But both America250 and Freedom 250 have access to federal funds through the Interior Department. Over the past year, Freedom 250 has taken the lead on both events and federal earmarks, but because it is also a private LLC, it is not required to disclose all of its funding information.
The White House referred questions about the report to Freedom 250. Freedom 250 spokesperson Danielle Alvarez called the report itself a partisan smear and that no foreign donations have been accepted. She also criticized America250 for having little to show for a decade of planning. Fellow spokesperson Rachel Reisner told RealClearPolitics that every sitting president has participated in milestone anniversaries.
“No one suggested the Biden-Harris administration would have kept the president away from this moment, nor should they have,” Reisner said in a statement. “We proudly welcome President Trump, who has shown genuine enthusiasm for celebrating America and its patriotic traditions, just as we would have welcomed any sitting president.”
The National Mall will be divided among three different events: The FIFA World Cup Fan Zone will continue to air matches through July 19. On another section of the Mall, the Great American State Fair continues. And at the Lincoln Memorial, President Trump will deliver a speech for what he’s calling an Independence Day Rally.
But the heat is already complicating programming. The annual “A Capitol Fourth Concert” at the U.S. Capitol could be canceled due to extreme temperatures. Other outdoor events across Washington have also been canceled out of concerns for public safety.
It’s unlikely to deter the president.
“By the way, on July 4th, it’s going to be approximately 107 degrees out, and I’m going to go, and I’m going to make a really long speech just to show that I can do anything,” Trump said at the opening ceremony for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, on Wednesday.
Temperatures in the nation’s capital are expected to exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday, with a 50% chance of thunderstorms.
Carolina Lumetta is White House correspondent for RealClearPolitics. Follow her on X @CarolinaLumetta.
