Extreme Weather Marks America’s 250th Birthday in Delayed Celebration in the Capital
President Trump, accompanied by the first lady, addressed a crowd on the National Mall after visitors were evacuated earlier because of storms.
First it was the sweltering heat. Then the storms rolled in. The Fourth of July in Washington, D.C., drew thousands of people on the National Mall who were temporarily evacuated while awaiting what President Donald Trump promised would be a record-breaking fireworks display celebrating the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.
“You think this was easy, it wasn’t,” Trump said referring to the weather delay. “This country is the home of freedom.”
The fireworks were preceded by the president’s speech and both were delayed by rain and lightning in the area on a day where the temperature peaked at 103 degrees. Just after 11 p.m. EDT, Mr. Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, arrived on stage to “Hail to the Chief” after vocalist Lee Greenwood delivered a version of “God Bless America.”
The President hailed the “immortal patriots of 1776 “ and the “cause of independence.”
“We will always be on top,” he said, adding the United States would never let the country fail.”
Throughout his speech he evoked American heroes from Davy Crockett to the Wright Brothers and the Marines who fought at Iwo Jima. He then brought on stage the crew of the Artemis II spacecraft. “We’re gonna do the moon and we’re gonna go from there, we’re gonna go to Mars”.
Mr. Trump’s speech, at times, turned political when he urged the passage of the SAVE America Act, his voter ID law currently pending in Congress before he wrapped up his remarks after speaking for about 40 minutes ahead of watching the fireworks behind glass seated next to the first lady.
“The best is yet to come,” he said, adding the “spirit of 1776 lives within us all.”
The Weekly Wrap
The Weekly Wrap is a collection of headlines from the past week. Some publications have paywalls.
All Things First Ladies
What Martha and Abigail Wore to the Revolution
July 4, 2026 – Homespun Fabric Helped Unify the Colonies against Great Britain. Read more
The Grio
Michelle Obama Gets Candid About the ‘Freedom’ of Life After 50 at ESSENCE Fest
July 4, 2026 – Michelle Obama has one word for life after 50. “Freedom!” Read more
Politico
‘I Want This on Donald’s Desk’: Inside Melania Trump’s Ambitious Policymaking Agenda
July 3, 2026 – When first lady Melania Trump wanted to host a bipartisan roundtable on Capitol Hill this spring to advocate for her “Fostering the Future” legislation, Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. Read more
News 5 Cleveland
Presidential Descendant Pushes to Establish a National First Ladies Day
July 2, 2026 – As we celebrate America 250, I’m exploring an effort to recognize a group of people whose commitment to the country often goes unseen compared to that of their more prominent counterparts. I am talking about America’s first ladies, and I talked with a man from Northeast Ohio who is part of a nationwide movement to change that. Read more
Courthouse News
Judge Cautions Melania Trump Against Trying to Sanction Journalist Michael Wolff
July 1, 2026 – Despite already beating an anti-SLAPP lawsuit from journalist and Trump biographer Michael Wolff, first lady Melania Trump is keeping the litigation going by pushing for sanctions against Wolff over what she calls his “frivolous” case. But a federal judge on Wednesday suggested she should perhaps quit while she is ahead, noting to the first lady’s lawyers “the case is now closed.” Read more
USA Today
Hillary Clinton Surprises Sold Out Carnegie Hall With Debut Appearance
July 1, 2026 – Hillary Clinton made a surprise appearance at Carnegie Hall on June 30 to celebrate 250 years of American music. Read more
New York Post
Melania Trump Issues Rare Statement on Major Supreme Court Ruling: ‘Respect Everyone’
July 1, 2026 – Melania Trump made a rare statement on a Supreme Court ruling, praising the high court for upholding a West Virginia law that restricted transgender females from taking part in girls’ and women’s sports. Read more
Fortune
Melania Trump NFT Earnings Surge 28x in 2025 as First Lady Rakes in Nearly $17 Million in Total Earnings, Filing Shows
July 1, 2026 – Melania Trump made 28 times as much income from NFTs in 2025 as she did the year before, according to a 2026 annual federal disclosure report. Of her roughly $17 million in total earnings, she raked in $6 million from the digital collectibles. Read more
East Wing Magazine
Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library to Open on Nation’s 250th Anniversary
June 30, 2026 – The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in western North Dakota will open to the public on July 4—the 250th anniversary of America’s founding—but the festivities will begin ahead of time with a visit by Donald Trump on Wednesday when the president is scheduled to join other distinguished guests at the library’s dedication. Read more
People
Donald Trump’s Great American State Fair Features a Cow Named Melania
June 29, 2026 – President Donald Trump’s Great American State Fair has so far gathered some unfavorable reactions, from inclement weather forcing cancellations to music artists dropping out of their headlining slots. However, the president might be pleased to hear about one particular attendee: a cow named after his wife, first lady Melania Trump. Read more
American Libraries Magazine
Balancing It All
June 28, 2026 – When former First Lady Jill Biden needed to impress Mexican first lady Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller during a visit to the White House, she turned to the library. “I called Carla Hayden at the Library of Congress,” Biden recalled, and the library assembled a collection of materials from Mexico. “I had to drag [Müller] out of there after two hours looking at this artifact and that religious book.” Read more