President Donald Trump points to the cheering crowd as he leaves an Independence Day celebration in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Photo / AP
In a made-for-television Independence Day production starring America's military weaponry, President Donald Trump used the Lincoln Memorial as the backdrop for an homage to the country's armed forces and a call for unity that has been largely absent during his divisive presidency.
Flanked by Bradley armoured vehicles and M1A2 tanks in front of the statue of Abraham Lincoln, Trump paid tribute to the five branches of the military as a chorus sang each service hymn and he cued the arrival of fighter jets and other military aircraft roaring by in the skies overhead.
Speaking to a rain-soaked audience filled with troops decked out in "Make America Great Again" and "Trump 2020" paraphernalia, the president finally presided over the grand military display that he has wanted since witnessing the Bastille Day parade in Paris two years ago.
In a 45-minute speech delivered behind rain-streaked bulletproof glass, the president singled out a long list of Americans or their contributions to science, medicine, politics and the arts. But he spent most of his time recounting the history of the armed forces, ending his remarks as the Battle Hymn of the Republic blared through huge speakers and the Blue Angels soared overhead.
"As long as we stay true to our cause — as long as we remember our great history — as long as we never, ever stop fighting for a better future — then there will be nothing that America cannot do," Trump declared to chants of "USA, USA." "God bless you, God bless the military, and God bless America. Happy Fourth of July."
Even before he spoke, the president's appearance on the National Mall drew fierce criticism from Democrats and some members of the military, who accused the president of using the military troops and equipment as little more than political props for his own benefit.
"Tanks aren't props. They are weapons of war," said Senator Jack Reed, D-R.I., a West Point graduate who served in the 82nd Airborne Division. Senator Kamala Harris of California, a Democratic candidate for president, said of Trump: "I don't think he understands, this is America's birthday, not his birthday."
But two weeks after formally announcing his re election bid in Orlando, Florida, with a dark message of grievance and attacks on his enemies, the president Thursday offered a different, more optimistic tone. He added himself to Washington's annual Independence Day celebration in what he called a "Salute to America" that avoided any of his usual attacks on the media, Democrats or his intelligence agencies.
"We all share a truly extraordinary heritage. Together, we are part of one of the greatest stories ever told — the story of America," he told a large crowd of people, many wearing the president's red, trademark "Make America Great Again" baseball caps. "To this day, that spirit runs through the veins of every American patriot."
Previous presidents have commandeered the Lincoln Memorial, but none had ever done it the way Trump did Thursday, packing the audience with supporters and assuming the role of master of ceremonies that centred mostly around the troops at his command.
In 2009, former President Barack Obama held a star-studded inauguration party at the Lincoln Memorial two days before his swearing-in at the Capitol. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the mall to hear a concert that included performances by Bruce Springsteen, U2, Beyoncé, Garth Brooks and more.
Eight years later, Trump also visited the Lincoln Memorial the night before his inauguration, delivering brief remarks and leading supporters lining the Reflecting Pool in chants of "make America great again."
On Thursday, the president spoke not far from where the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I have a dream" speech to nearly a quarter-million people in 1963, hailing Lincoln's decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation as a "great beacon light of hope" to millions of people.
Thousands of people braved scorching, humid weather — and later heavy downpours — as they poured into Washington, DC, for the Fourth of July festivities.
One woman wore a "I'm a Trump Deplorable" T-shirt, followed not far behind by a man in a "Veterans for Trump" shirt. A man wearing a shirt that said "Vote Democrat: Make America a Third World Country" walked through the crowd yelling about the end of the democracy. A lone Trump opponent walked quietly with a sign that said "Dump Trump."
Outside the secure area, on the other end of the National Mall, where PBS will hold its annual Fourth of July concert — a separate event from the president's rally — there appeared to be far fewer Trump supporters. The president's red "MAGA" hats were hard to find, and Trump 2020 T-shirts were nowhere to be found.
Before Trump's arrival, supporters of the president huddled in the VIP section under trees to escape a long downpour of rain while the Marine Corps Band played a medley of patriotic songs, including "God Bless America." Brief cheers of "USA! USA! USA!" came from the military crowd pressed along the fence line.
Daniel P. Cortez, 68, of Stafford, Virginia, who was wounded in Vietnam as a Marine infantryman, sat in the VIP section waiting for the president. The director of the National Veterans Court Alliance, Cortez said he received an invitation from the White House on Monday.
"I'm not a Republican. I'm an independent," said Cortez, the recipient of the Navy Commendation Medal for valour, a Purple Heart and the Navy-Marine Corps Medal. "But when the White House calls, I'm not going to pass up a seat at an event like this. Patriots should go to any White House. I'm honoured to go."
Jason Cullins, a truck driver from Lafayette, Louisiana, didn't plan to come to the Trump event Thursday. He was on his way to drop off a load in New Jersey and decided to stop in Washington because he can't deliver on the Fourth of July.
"There's always a show in Washington, DC, so I had to make a stop," he said as he held flags that said Trump 2020 and Make America Great Again. "You have everybody here. You have anti-Trump people, which I don't agree with, but by God that's what makes America great. We have freedom of speech. I have no problem with them."
Supporters of Trump were greeted by the large Trump baby balloon not far from the World War II memorial. Code Pink, a liberal, anti-war group, organised the balloon as a way to mock the president. "It's disgusting that Trump has hijacked our national holiday and turned it into a celebration of him," said Medea Benjamin, a co-director of Code Pink.
Benjamin said that most supporters of Trump have mostly been respectful, though one man threatened to attack the balloon, something that has happened in other cities where activists have flown it.
Stan Sinberg on Thursday sold anti-Trump buttons and pins, including ones that said "Border Personality Disorder" with a picture of Trump next to it. He brought his wagon of pins to Washington from New York because the Fourth of July "is supposed to be a nonpartisan event but Trump has politicised it."
During the event, a man told Sinberg he had to leave, others shouted "Trump 2020" and "Pence 2024" at him. One man asked why he hated America. "Trump is not synonymous with America," Sinberg replied.
Trump has wanted to host the country's military since he declared the Paris parade to be the best one he had ever seen. The president initially pushed for a similar military parade in Washington for Veterans Day in 2018, but fierce local opposition and a $90 million price tag for the event forced him to back down.
The president announced months ago his intention to speak on Fourth of July. But it was just in recent weeks that he demanded a robust military presence, including tanks and fighter jet flyovers.
That led to a mad scramble in the Defense Department to gather the military leaders who would attend. The Pentagon was given only a few days notice that Trump wanted his defense secretary, all the Joint Chiefs and all the service secretaries by his side during his remarks.
Most of the Joint Chiefs were on leave or on travel. General Joseph L. Lengyel of the Air Force, the head of the National Guard Bureau had a long-scheduled trip to the Middle East that was on, then off, then on again as of Wednesday. Another National Guard general was tapped to attend.
Of the other chiefs, only Adm. Karl Schultz, the Coast Guard commandant, joined Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with the president. The others were on travel or on leave, and sent their deputies in their stead.
Some Pentagon officials sought Wednesday and Thursday to make a virtue out of a necessity, saying it will be a chance for the substitutes — generally rising stars in their services — to get some valuable face time with the commander-in-chief.
Written by: Michael D. Shear
Photographs by: Melissa Lyttle, Michael A. McCoy, Gabriella Demczuk and Erin Schaff
© 2019 THE NEW YORK TIMES
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