What to expect from Trump's 'Salute to America' July 4th event
Ever since President Trump witnessed a patriotic Bastille Day parade in Paris in 2017, he has yearned for a similar celebration to call his own. Now, on this 2019 Independence Day, he's getting it. Well, sort of. On Thursday afternoon, the "Salute to America" event will take place. Here's what to expect:
Where is the "Salute to America" event? In front of the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in D.C., where Trump has reportedly situated two M1A2 Abrams tanks and two Bradley armored vehicles, a stage, and several giant TV screens.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What will the event include? Around 6:30 p.m., Trump is expected to give a non-political speech. What will he talk about if not the presidential "witch hunt," the border wall, and the failings of the Democrats? "Thematically, how wonderful this country is," counselor Kellyanne Conway told CBS News. The Washington Post reports White House officials are worried Trump won't stick to his prescribed talking points.
The rest of the show will reportedly feature performances by military bands. The Marine Corps Silent Drill Team will also be there. A military flyover is expected — CBS News reports "Trump is likely to show off the F-35 jets he recently displayed."
The "biggest ever" fireworks display over the National Mall will kick off around 9 p.m.
Who will be there? Troops, and lots of them. About 5,000 tickets went to military personnel. But there will also be Cabinet members, White House officials, and friends of the president in attendance. Reports suggest the White House has been scrambling to give away tickets for the VIP section because "people planned their July 4th activities weeks ago.”
How can you watch it? Most major networks will all run their regularly-scheduled programming during the event. But The Blaze reports that C-SPAN will cover it live, "and Fox News has blocked off two hours for special coverage."
Is it going to rain on Trump's parade? It's looking that way. One White House aid told Politico: "The weather might be bad. Heads are spinning."
-
Nasa’s new dark matter mapUnder the Radar High-resolution images may help scientists understand the ‘gravitational scaffolding into which everything else falls and is built into galaxies’
-
Is the US about to lose its measles elimination status?Today's Big Question Cases are skyrocketing
-
‘No one is exempt from responsibility, and especially not elite sport circuits’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Rep. Ilhan Omar attacked with unknown liquidSpeed Read This ‘small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work’
-
Democrats pledge Noem impeachment if not firedSpeed Read Trump is publicly defending the Homeland Security secretary
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
-
Trump says US ‘in charge’ of Venezuela after Maduro grabSpeed Read The American president claims the US will ‘run’ Venezuela for an unspecified amount of time, contradicting a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
