U.S. President Donald Trump used the opening of America’s 250th Independence Day celebrations to issue a stark warning against what he described as a growing “communist menace” within the country, delivering a politically charged address at the foot of Mount Rushmore.
Addressing thousands of supporters on Friday, Trump said the United States was facing a renewed ideological battle, arguing that the nation’s identity was under threat from progressive political movements and radical ideologies. The speech marked the beginning of the country’s semiquincentennial celebrations and also served as a rallying call ahead of the November midterm elections.
Speaking beneath the granite carvings of former U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, Trump departed from the traditional theme of national unity often associated with milestone celebrations.
“As we approach this magnificent anniversary, we see our American identity under a renewed attack,” the president said. “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.”
Trump argued that the ideology posed one of the greatest threats to the United States since its founding, adding that patriotism and communism were incompatible.
Throughout his address, the president also criticized what he described as attempts to rewrite American history, accusing progressive groups and some educators of portraying the nation’s founding primarily through the lens of slavery, colonialism and oppression.
He linked the issue to immigration, reiterating his long-standing position that newcomers to the United States should embrace American values and traditions.
“You do not have to be born here, but you do have to love what we have built,” Trump told the crowd.
The speech came against the backdrop of heightened political polarization, economic concerns over inflation and fuel prices, and continuing foreign policy debates. Recent opinion polls suggest many Americans remain divided over whether the country is living up to the principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence.
The administration’s “Freedom 250” initiative, established to coordinate events marking the nation’s 250th anniversary, has also generated debate, with critics accusing the White House of turning a historic national celebration into a political platform.
Following the South Dakota event, Trump returned to Washington, D.C., where he is expected to headline the main Independence Day celebrations on the National Mall, featuring military flyovers, concerts and a large fireworks display.