Trump Kicks Off America 250 Weekend With Rousing Event at Mt. Rushmore

The America 250 event at Mount Rushmore had some weather delays in the program because there was a giant hailstorm.
BREAKING: Half-dollar sized hail at Mount Rushmore ahead of President Trump’s speech tonight. pic.twitter.com/Mzui6x7YhK
— Mike Carter (@MikeCarterTV) July 3, 2026
Advertisement
I'm not sure that's what they meant when they sing "Hail to the Chief."
But then it did finally clear up for President Donald Trump's arrival, and here are some of the highlights.
WATCH: Traditional Native American Flute Performance at Mt. Rushmore Amphitheater - 07/03/26 pic.twitter.com/3m5IyxLZ4h
— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBNetwork) July 3, 2026
As crowds gather and performances get underway in South Dakota, Fox News has your front-row seat to tonight's Mount Rushmore celebration. Flip over to Fox News now to catch the pre-event buzz and exclusive interviews before the main program begins. @America250 and @Freedom250 pic.twitter.com/xCsXYOQL2O
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 4, 2026
Let's hear from our Mount Rushmore presidents.
WATCH: The Four Mt. Rushmore Presidents Take the Stage for "The American Voice" Performance - 7/3/26 pic.twitter.com/GgI2an3qDY
— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBNetwork) July 4, 2026
Check out this flyover of Mount Rushmore - Trump in the new Air Force One.
WATCH: New Air Force One Flies by Iconic Rushmore Skyline - 07/03/26 pic.twitter.com/d6R7ECkdqQ
— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBNetwork) July 4, 2026
POTUS has arrived over Mount Rushmore #America250 pic.twitter.com/ZQ1b0ZjTbD
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) July 4, 2026
.@POTUS arrives in South Dakota! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/RS4NkQj7Ta
— Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) July 4, 2026
Advertisement
Then he buzzed the folks at Mount Rushmore in Marine One, and they loved it.
And now TRUMP buzzes Mt Rushmore 2x in Marine One. Wx cleared up for the speech and fireworks to come! 🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/y3WAOYQqhG
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) July 4, 2026
READ MORE: America 250 Soars With Amazing Flyovers and Aerial Action Over the National Mall
On America's 250th - The Peril at Our Gate
Trump spoke about what it means to be an American and the greatness of our country.
.@POTUS at Mount Rushmore: "Tonight, we gather on the eve of one of the most extraordinary days in the history of the world. Tomorrow, we mark 250 years of glorious independence and 250 years of majestic American freedom.
In all the chronicles of the ages, never before has any… pic.twitter.com/cMprTTnGA0
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 4, 2026
Tomorrow, we mark 250 years of glorious independence and 250 years of majestic American freedom. In all the chronicles of the ages, never before has any nation celebrated so magnificent a triumph as this one... At 250 Years, America is the oldest Republic on Earth. We are the freest people on earth. We have the most righteous and enduring Constitution on Earth. We are the strongest and most powerful country on Earth. And by the grace of God, the United States of America is the most successful, most accomplished, most exceptional nation ever to exist in human history."
Advertisement
Trump pointed out how much America has done for the world, noting that what we have brought is not the norm.
.@POTUS: "For a quarter of a millennium, Liberty, Justice, Equality, Self-Government, and unmatched Prosperity have flourished here as they have never flourished anywhere before...
The birth and survival of the American Nation under God is, quite simply, the best and most… pic.twitter.com/t438LZCeTg
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 4, 2026
Trump warned that we face the threat of Communism.
.@POTUS: Yet as we approach this magnificent anniversary, we see our American identity under a renewed attack. A generation after we fought and won the Cold War against the menace of Communism, there is now a resurgence of the Communist menace in our land—including from newcomers… pic.twitter.com/lS0k3MSQIP
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 4, 2026
"These are not mere political disagreements, like differences over taxes or regulations. Communism is a mortal threat to American Liberty," Trump explained.
"Because Communism is the enemy of Free People everywhere. It is the enemy of the Constitution. Above all, it is the Enemy of July 4th, 1776....Communism is the exact opposite of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—it is death, tyranny and the pursuit of evil....It is an ideology of mass theft, mass control, mass lies, and mass murder.... Very simply, Communism represents the worst ideas and abuses in history by the worst people—the American Founding represents the best ideas and traditions in history by the best people.
You can be loyal to Karl Marx, or you can be loyal to America. You can be a Communist, or you can be a Patriot. You cannot be both. As for those who would peddle Marxist lies about our heritage...they are doing something much worse than slandering our past. They are attacking our future. They are trying to tear down the American Character, to destroy the people who declared Independence, crossed the Delaware, settled the West, and conquered the skies. But we will never let that happen.
Our American Ancestors did not shed their blood at Concord and Trenton, Gettysburg and Shiloh, Midway and Normandy, just so that a band of thieves and radicals could come in and loot and pillage the nation our heroes died to win, build, and save. So on the eve of this 250th anniversary of American Liberty, we resolve and swear for all to hear that the Citizens of the United States of America will vanquish Communism from our shores, and send it into exile once and for all. America will never be a Communist country!
Advertisement
The president said our country has endured not merely because of words on paper, but that "liberty has prevailed here because of the culture and character of the people who declared it, defended it, and preserved it."
On the granite hills and rugged plains of this wide-open continent, they forged a uniquely American character, and a new breed of citizen. Americans did not bow before a King or Government, but kneeled only before Almighty God. These were the people who founded our Republic. These were the patriots that fought for independence. This was the spirit that demanded freedom. And this was the culture that built America, and carved its heroes into Mount Rushmore.
They capped everything off with fireworks.
WATCH: Fireworks Explode Over Historic Mt. Rushmore Presidents - 07/03/26 pic.twitter.com/rWrBIynHZd
— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBNetwork) July 4, 2026
Editor's Note: It’s America’s 250th birthday! Help RedState celebrate the greatest nation in history by honoring its past, defending its present, and preserving its future with reporting you can trust.
Join RedState VIP and use promo code AMERICA250 to receive 74% off your membership.