As we get closer to America’s 250th birthday in just over a week, celebrations are taking place in the capital city of Washington, D.C.
Today, President Trump officially kicked off the much-anticipated Great American State Fair with a giant rally at the National Mall.
Thousands of patriots gathered for the event, and President Trump personally delivered remarks towards the end of the rally.
Watch a clip from his speech here:
.@POTUS: Tonight, right here on our National Mall, we are beginning the most unforgettable birthday party any country has ever seen.
This evening, it is my honor to officially kick off the celebration with The Great American State Fair.
From today through July 10th, this event… pic.twitter.com/bsRSaO1O2V
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 25, 2026
Full text of that post:
.@POTUS: Tonight, right here on our National Mall, we are beginning the most unforgettable birthday party any country has ever seen.
This evening, it is my honor to officially kick off the celebration with The Great American State Fair.
From today through July 10th, this event will showcase all 56 states and territories. There will be military flyovers, special performances, patriotic music, high tech demonstrations, unique exhibitions, a FIFA Fan Zone, and even an old-fashioned Rodeo.
Then, on July 4th, we will have the greatest show of all on the National Mall as we ring in our 250th year with the largest fireworks display in world history. We will set an official world record, with 100x more fireworks than the typical July 4th.
Then, in August, we will have the Patriot Games — a first-of-its-kind competition featuring the greatest high school athletes from across the United States.
And soon thereafter, we will have the Freedom 250 Grand Prix here in Washington D.C.
Before this, there were multiple musical performances — including from country music singer Lee Greenwood, who sang ‘God Bless the USA’ as President Trump entered the stage.
Watch that moment here:
🚨 JUST IN: President Trump just WALKED OUT to a ROARING CROWD on the National Mall as Lee Greenwood sings “God Bless the USA” LIVE
47 loves it! 🇺🇸
Leftists hate this because they hate America. pic.twitter.com/Y7lWuT0nKi
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 25, 2026
The event opened with an awesome fighter jet flyover.
The White House shared a clip of that:
🇺🇸🦅 THIS IS WHAT AN AMERICAN KICK-OFF LOOKS LIKE. pic.twitter.com/f5kb7BZApi
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 25, 2026
FBI Director Kash Patel’s girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins performed the national anthem:
Alexis Wilkins, the girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel, performs the national anthem at the kickoff of the Great American State Fair. pic.twitter.com/02JkEm85sX
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 25, 2026
As you may remember, this event was originally supposed to be a concert. But, half of the original line-up disgracefully quit.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called out these “libtards” during his speech at the rally:
Sec. Duffy at the Great American State Fair: To start this off, I think we have to give a big round of applause for our military band and singers — way better than those libtards that canceled on us. pic.twitter.com/8HmWUZoTae
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 25, 2026
Finally, President Trump wrapped up the night with his iconic dance to the YMCA:
🚨 JUST IN: President Trump just broke out into an energetic YMCA dance and THOUSANDS of patriots started cheering on the National Mall
LFG! 80 going strong! 🔥🔥
All he wants is to save America! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/snW6BSmj3P
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 25, 2026
We don’t have the exact numbers yet, but over one-thousand Americans from all walks of life showed up to celebrate the kick-off event.
NBC News shared some reactions from the crowd:
People began arriving for the kickoff in the late afternoon, grabbing American flag placards and seats on the lawn. Others sought shade in a picnic area, where members of a Bible ministry from Florida offered to pray for passersby.
Merchandise tables sold red “America Is Back” baseball caps, in the style of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” hats, and an assortment of Freedom 250 shirts, scarves and knickknacks. Concessionaires sold snacks and soft drinks. More than one attendee expressed disappointment after walking into a stand advertising beer and being informed no alcohol was available.
Roughly half of those in Wednesday’s crowd of more than 1,000 wore Trump’s slogans or likeness on their clothes. For them, America’s 250th birthday was secondary to an opportunity to see the president.
“This is my 116th Trump rally,” said Edward X. Young of Brick, New Jersey. “I believe in President Trump.”
He added, noting Trump’s two, nonconsecutive terms: “I believe our two greatest presidents ever were 47 and 45.”
Young — who wore a Hawaiian shirt depicting Trump on a surfboard over a “Fight! Fight Fight!” T-shirt calling back to the 2024 assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania — also recalled celebrating America’s bicentennial 50 years ago in Boston.
“I’m 66 years old,” Young said. “How could I miss out? I even tell my liberal friends: Put the politics aside; this is history.”
Shannon Silveri, a Washington-area resident who described herself as sympathetic to Trump, said she viewed the night as a “nonpartisan” celebration.
“I would not miss this day for anything,” Silveri said. “It’s the opening, the kickoff, celebrating America’s 250. This is a huge birthday. We want to have another 250 years to leave to our next generation.”
Waiting outside a food pavilion, Mary Smith, of North Ridgeville, Ohio, described herself as “MAGA-ish.” Trump, she said, was not the main factor in her decision to travel here.
“I remember celebrating the bicentennial when I was a kid, and I wanted to be here for this,” Smith said. “To me, it doesn’t matter who the president is. It’s still my country. I’m very proud and thankful that I live here.”
“I would be here,” Smith added, “no matter who the president was.”
While the festivities began tonight, the Great American State Fair will officially open to the American public tomorrow. It will run through July 10.
If you want to watch the full opening rally, it’s available right here:
What are your thoughts?
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.