Associated Press
On a day meant for unity and celebration, President Donald Trump vowed to “safeguard our values” from enemies within — leftists, looters, agitators, he said — in a Fourth of July speech packed with all the grievances and combativeness of his political rallies.
Trump watched paratroopers float to the ground in a tribute to America, greeted his audience of front-line medical workers and others central in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, and opened up on those who “slander” him and disrespect the country’s past.
“We are now in the process of defeating the radical left, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters, and the people who, in many instances, have absolutely no clue what they are doing,” he said. “We will never allow an angry mob to tear down our statues, erase our history, indoctrinate our children.
“And we will defend, protect and preserve (the) American way of life, which began in 1492 when Columbus discovered America.”
He did not mention the dead from the pandemic. Nearly 130,000 are known to have died from COVID-19 in the U.S.
Even as officials across the country pleaded with Americans to curb their enthusiasm for large Fourth of July crowds, Trump enticed the masses with a “special evening” of tribute and fireworks staged with new U.S. coronavirus infections on the rise.
But the crowds wandering the National Mall for the night’s air show and fireworks were strikingly thinner than the gathering for last year’s jammed celebration on the Mall.
Many who showed up wore masks, unlike those seated close together for Trump’s South Lawn event, and distancing was easy to do for those scattered across the sprawling space.
Trump did not hesitate to use the country’s birthday as an occasion to assail segments of the country that do not support him.
Carrying on a theme he pounded on a day earlier against the backdrop of the Mount Rushmore monuments, he went after those who have torn down statues or think some of them, particularly those of Confederate figures, should be removed. Support has been growing among Republicans to remove Confederate memorials.
“Our past is not a burden to be cast away,” Trump said.
Outside the event but as close to it as they could get, Pat Lee of Upper Dublin, Pennsylvania, gathered with two friends, one of them a nurse from Fredericksburg, Virginia, and none in a mask.
“POTUS said it would go away,” Lee said of the pandemic, using an acronym for president of the United States. “Masks, I think, are like a hoax.” But she said she wore one inside the Trump International Hotel, where she stayed.
By the World War II Memorial, the National Park Service handed out packets of five white cloth masks to all who wanted them. People were not required to wear them.
Another nurse, Zippy Watt from Riverside, California, came to see the air show and fireworks with her husband and their two daughters, one of whom lives in Washington. They wore matching American flag face masks even when seated together on a park bench.
“We chose to wear a mask to protect ourselves and others,” Watt said. She said her family was divided on Trump but she is “more of a Trump supporter. Being from southern California I see socialist tendencies. I’m tired of paying taxes so others can stay home.”
Pat Lee made the trip from north of Philadelphia after seeing last year’s Mall celebration on TV.
She said the protests over racial injustice that unfolded near her were so threatening that people in her suburban neighborhood took turns staying up all night and those who didn’t own guns stationed bats and shovels in their garages. Her friend from Pennsylvania, who didn’t want to be identified, said she spent more than three hours in line to buy a gun.
“I want people to stop calling us racists,” Lee said. “We’re not racists. Just because you love your country, love the people in your country, doesn’t make you a racist.”
Trump’s guests on the South Lawn were doctors, nurses, law enforcement officers and military members as well as officials from the administration, said Judd Deere, deputy White House press secretary. He said the event was a tribute to the “tremendous courage and spirit” of front-line workers and the public in the pandemic.
In many parts of the country, authorities discouraged mass gatherings for the holiday after days that have seen COVID-19 cases grow at a rate not experienced even during the deadliest phase of the pandemic in the spring.
In New York, once the epicenter, people were urged to avoid crowds and Nathan’s Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest happened at an undisclosed location without spectators on hand, in advance of the evening’s televised fireworks spectacular over the Empire State Building.
In Philadelphia, mask- and glove-wearing descendants of the signers of the Declaration of Independence participated in a virtual tapping of the famed Liberty Bell on Independence Mall and people were asked to join from afar by clinking glasses, tapping pots or ringing bells.
Yet Trump continued to crave big crowds when it came to his events.
He opened the holiday weekend by traveling to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota for a fireworks display Friday night near the mountain carvings of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. In stark words, he accused protesters who have pushed for racial justice of engaging in a “merciless campaign to wipe out our history.”
Even as he pushed ahead with celebrations, the shadow of the coronavirus loomed closer to him. Kimberly Guilfoyle, a top fundraiser for the president and girlfriend of his eldest child, Donald Trump Jr., tested positive for the virus, Trump’s campaign said late Friday. Guilfoyle tweeted Saturday that she was looking forward to “a speedy recovery.”
In a presidential message Saturday morning on the 244th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, Trump acknowledged that “over the past months, the American spirit has undoubtedly been tested by many challenges.”
His Democratic rival, Joe Biden, said in a statement that the U.S. “never lived up” to its founding principle that “all men are created equal,” but today “we have a chance to rip the roots of systemic racism out of this country.″
Trump’s endorsement of big gatherings at the National Mall and at Mount Rushmore came as many communities decided to scrap fireworks, parades and other holiday traditions in hopes of avoiding yet more surges in infection.
Confirmed cases were climbing in 40 states, and the U.S. set another record Friday with 52,300 newly reported infections, according to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.
Trump did not dwell on the pandemic in his remarks Saturday evening. Instead, he declared that “our country is in great shape.”
Trump has been aching to see the nation return to normalcy, and has been willing to push the envelope farther than many states and big city mayors are willing to go.
For Trump and the country, it was yet another holiday clouded by a pandemic that the U.S. has failed to bring under control.
In late March, a little more than a week after he bowed to the need to shut down much of the country, Trump spoke of reopening with “packed” churches by Easter Sunday. He relented on that push as his medical advisers warned that it was far too ambitious. Then he spent chunks of his Memorial Day weekend fuming about critics who he said were ignoring falling cases and deaths at the time.
___
Republished with permission from The Associated Press.
5 comments
KennethMcCarver
July 5, 2020 at 1:57 pm
So bias and you don’t even attempt to hide it. maybe the destruction of property allowed by left wing Mayors & Governors are stoking the fear?
How do you like Democrat Socialism? just like the third world isn’t it. Democrat Governor’s & Mayors ordering Police to stand down while the city is looted, burned. citizens beaten in the streets, monuments destroyed, police stations actually taken over and allowed to be occupied. Antifa and BLM are the criminals behind this.
Below are those in sympathy with Antifa and BLM.
What do these Mayors & Governors have in common? All are Democrats who kept their economy closed as long as they could (many still are) and ordered Police in their cities to stand down allowing the destruction.
Tom Wolf (Gov PA), Jim Kenney (Mayor Philadelphia), JB Pritzker (Gov Il), Lori Lightfoot (Mayor Chicago), Gavin Newsom (Gov CA) Kate Brown (Gov OR), Ted Wheeler (Mayor Portland OR), Jay Inslee (Gov WA), Jenny Durkan (Mayor Seattle), Andrew Cuomo (Gov NY), Bill Di Blasio, (Mayor NY) Tim Walz (Gov MN) Jacob Frey (Mayor MN), Lyda Krewson (Mayor St. Louis), Gretchen Whitmer (Gov MI), Mike Duggan (Mayor Detroit) , Keisha Bottoms (Mayor Atlanta GA)Bernard Young (Mayor Baltimore)
There is no moderate wing of the Democrat party people and they really don’t care about taxpayers except for their vote. If you vote for Joe Biden, you are voting for Bernie Sanders, or Elizabeth Warren’s far left platform.. Joe will follow the radical left’s agenda or Joe won’t get the support (and he is of) Nancy Pelosi, Val Demings, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Valerie Jarrett,. Rashida Talib, Stacy Abrams, Ayanna Pressley, Nancy Pelosi, Sheila Jackson Lee, Tom Perez, Maxine Waters, Al Green, and llhan Omar.
This is the core of the socialists leftist wing of the Democrat party and are firmly in charge.
Democrats want to make this election all about the hate for President Trump. NOT their platform & Goals for obvious reasons.
At least know who & what you are voting for. Do you know the Democrats goals? here it is.
Democrat Platform & Goals:
*End all deportations of illegal aliens, if you get here, you stay. Bernie’s website calls it a “moratorium” on deportations.
*Citizenship for 20 to 50 million illegal aliens, DACA & TPS recipients with a cost of billions.
*Massive tax increases. All Democrat candidates have committed to tax increases of various amounts.
*Sanctuary Cities & States. Joe Biden supports sanctuary cities.
*Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Green new deal.(which would create massive unemployment, 100,000 jobs estimated in the transportation industry alone.) Joe Biden supports.
*De-fund & terminate border patrol & ICE.
*Free Healthcare for Illegal aliens, DACA, TPS recipients (taxpayer funded with one estimate at 52 trillion) Joe Biden endorsed.
*Ending of all private / employer based health care. “Medicare for all”, Feds run everything.
*Illegal Aliens eligible for welfare & food stamps. (Elizabeth Warrens plan adopted)
*Reparations for race’s harmed by Caucasians. Joe Biden committed to “Reverend” Al Sharpton’s support for Sheila Jackson Lee’s reparations bill in the House. Basically a tax will be levied on all Caucasians in America. (you can’t make this stuff up)
*Free college for all, including illegal aliens (taxpayer funded estimates in the billions. Bernie Sanders plan adopted.
*Decriminalization of illegal entry into our country.
*Open Borders.
*Drivers Licenses for illegal aliens (already happening in states with Democrat leadership.
*Late term abortions up to 9 months.
*Ending of all private / employer based health care. “Medicare for all”, Feds run everything.
* Destruction and erasing our history.
Sonja Fitch
July 5, 2020 at 3:21 pm
Paranoid delusional racist sexist liar traitor Trump! Goptrump cult members stfu!
LINDIESUE
July 5, 2020 at 3:36 pm
DIVISION started in 2009 when Obama said all white cops are racist. The left has been stoking false accusations against anyone who will not cower to their socialist agenda, namely all conservatives and Republicans. Division is JayZ saying, “It’s about time we got the white out of the White House,” a couple of days after Obama’s inauguration. Division is accusing half of this country of being racist, homophobic, xenophobic, sexist. Division is the left bashing the “old white men” in my family from whom I’ve never – in my 65 yrs. of life – heard a racist word or comment. Division is the left telling my conservative biracial sons that they are not black enough and calling them traitors to their race. Division is what is going on in our streets for 6 weeks now. Violence is condoned by the left. Racism does exist. It abounds on the destructive, divisive, hate-filled left. PERIOD!!!
Magila
July 6, 2020 at 8:54 am
CNN described Mount Rushmore as a “monument of two slave owners” on “land wrestled away from Native Americans” ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit there on Friday.
But in 2008, CNN marveled at the landmark when then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) visited Rushmore on the campaign trail in South Dakota.
In 2008, CNN anchor Ron Marciano said: “Barack Obama is campaigning in South Dakota. That state’s primary is Tuesday. Obama arrived there late last night and got a good look around Mt. Rushmore — it’s quite a sight if you haven’t seen it.”
Fellow anchor Betty Nguyen added: “Barack Obama is in South Dakota today. He arrived there last night. Take a look at this. He got a good glimpse of the majestic Mount Rushmore. Well, South Dakota and Montana have closed out the primary season on Tuesday.”
Organizations recognizing Trump;
1976 Humanitarian Award by the National Jewish Health;
1983 Tree of Life Award by the Jewish National Fund;
1986 Ellis Island Award given to Trump, Rosa Parks and Muhammad Ali;
1990 video of the Rev. Jesse Jackson lauding Trump as a friend to minorities and underserved communities. Jackson expressed appreciation for Trump’s support of the Rainbow Push Coalition’s initiative called the Wall Street Project, which aimed to help minority-owned businesses;
1995 President’s Medal by the Freedom Foundation (Washington) for his support of youth programs;
2007 Muhammad Ali Entrepreneur Award;
2008 Unicorn Children’s Foundation Shining Star Award;
2011 Presidential Hero Award by the Lois Pope Life Foundation;
2015 The Algemeiner Liberty Award for contributions to Israel-United States relations.
This was Donald Trump BEFORE the media got a hold of him.
The job of the journalist is to REPORT the news, not to write their own narrative of the news.
Perhaps journalism is truly dead.
jon
July 10, 2020 at 4:05 pm
WORTH REPEATING FOR THE RETARDED DEMORATS!
So bias and you don’t even attempt to hide it. maybe the destruction of property allowed by left wing Mayors & Governors are stoking the fear?
How do you like Democrat Socialism? just like the third world isn’t it. Democrat Governor’s & Mayors ordering Police to stand down while the city is looted, burned. citizens beaten in the streets, monuments destroyed, police stations actually taken over and allowed to be occupied. Antifa and BLM are the criminals behind this.
Below are those in sympathy with Antifa and BLM.
What do these Mayors & Governors have in common? All are Democrats who kept their economy closed as long as they could (many still are) and ordered Police in their cities to stand down allowing the destruction.
Tom Wolf (Gov PA), Jim Kenney (Mayor Philadelphia), JB Pritzker (Gov Il), Lori Lightfoot (Mayor Chicago), Gavin Newsom (Gov CA) Kate Brown (Gov OR), Ted Wheeler (Mayor Portland OR), Jay Inslee (Gov WA), Jenny Durkan (Mayor Seattle), Andrew Cuomo (Gov NY), Bill Di Blasio, (Mayor NY) Tim Walz (Gov MN) Jacob Frey (Mayor MN), Lyda Krewson (Mayor St. Louis), Gretchen Whitmer (Gov MI), Mike Duggan (Mayor Detroit) , Keisha Bottoms (Mayor Atlanta GA)Bernard Young (Mayor Baltimore)
There is no moderate wing of the Democrat party people and they really don’t care about taxpayers except for their vote. If you vote for Joe Biden, you are voting for Bernie Sanders, or Elizabeth Warren’s far left platform.. Joe will follow the radical left’s agenda or Joe won’t get the support (and he is of) Nancy Pelosi, Val Demings, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Valerie Jarrett,. Rashida Talib, Stacy Abrams, Ayanna Pressley, Nancy Pelosi, Sheila Jackson Lee, Tom Perez, Maxine Waters, Al Green, and llhan Omar.
This is the core of the socialists leftist wing of the Democrat party and are firmly in charge.
Democrats want to make this election all about the hate for President Trump. NOT their platform & Goals for obvious reasons.
At least know who & what you are voting for. Do you know the Democrats goals? here it is.
Democrat Platform & Goals:
*End all deportations of illegal aliens, if you get here, you stay. Bernie’s website calls it a “moratorium” on deportations.
*Citizenship for 20 to 50 million illegal aliens, DACA & TPS recipients with a cost of billions.
*Massive tax increases. All Democrat candidates have committed to tax increases of various amounts.
*Sanctuary Cities & States. Joe Biden supports sanctuary cities.
*Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Green new deal.(which would create massive unemployment, 100,000 jobs estimated in the transportation industry alone.) Joe Biden supports.
*De-fund & terminate border patrol & ICE.
*Free Healthcare for Illegal aliens, DACA, TPS recipients (taxpayer funded with one estimate at 52 trillion) Joe Biden endorsed.
*Ending of all private / employer based health care. “Medicare for all”, Feds run everything.
*Illegal Aliens eligible for welfare & food stamps. (Elizabeth Warrens plan adopted)
*Reparations for race’s harmed by Caucasians. Joe Biden committed to “Reverend” Al Sharpton’s support for Sheila Jackson Lee’s reparations bill in the House. Basically a tax will be levied on all Caucasians in America. (you can’t make this stuff up)
*Free college for all, including illegal aliens (taxpayer funded estimates in the billions. Bernie Sanders plan adopted.
*Decriminalization of illegal entry into our country.
*Open Borders.
*Drivers Licenses for illegal aliens (already happening in states with Democrat leadership.
*Late term abortions up to 9 months.
*Ending of all private / employer based health care. “Medicare for all”, Feds run everything.
* Destruction and erasing our history.
Comments are closed.