WASHINGTON, June 24 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump opened a 16-day celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary with a political rally on Wednesday, the start of festivities shaped by controversy over his polarizing approach to governing and efforts to remake Washington.
Eager to pivot from a divisive war in Iran, Trump sought to use the event on the National Mall ahead of the Independence Day milestone on July 4 to tout a country he often takes credit for restoring to greatness.
"As we stand on the edge of our 250th year of independence, I am thrilled to declare that America is back," Trump told thousands of people in the crowd from behind a wall of bullet-proof glass that extended across the stage.
The Mall was festooned with patriotic decor including American flags and Freedom 250 signs, while signs promoting “The Great American State Fair” splashed across screens surrounding the stage.
With the Washington Monument visible in the distance, military jets periodically soared overhead, including a B-2 stealth bomber flanked by four F-35 fighter jets.
The Republican president invoked history and honored the anniversary before launching into a familiar refrain of his accomplishments, from claiming victory in the war with Iran and economic prosperity. He was unusually disciplined, rarely straying from the script on his teleprompter and keeping the speech to less than 30 minutes.
"We are beginning the most unforgettable birthday party any country has ever seen," Trump said. "Oh, you're gonna have a good time."
The event underscored how Trump has blurred the line between official commemoration and campaign-style politics, repackaging a public fair in the heart of the nation's capital around the rally format that has defined his presidency.
The anniversary events have been marked by months of friction, including unconventional programming, the withdrawal of several musical acts and Trump's renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool near the site of the celebrations.
Trump, who has taken a personal interest in the celebrations, is facing a difficult political moment. The nearly four-month-old Iran war has pushed consumer prices to a three-year high and unnerved many voters.
Just one in four Americans believes the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran was worth its costs, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found, and only 34% approve of Trump’s overall performance in office 17 months into his second term.
CALL FOR UNITY
People attending the rally expressed support for Trump but also wished he would seek more national unity and tone down some of his flourishes.
Louisiana couple Duane Hartman, 57, and his wife, Angela, 56, were visiting Washington for the first time when they saw signs for the Trump rally and decided to attend.
“I hope he says something to unify the country,” said Hartman, an assistant principal at a public high school.
Steve Dallenbach, 73, a retired home builder originally from Iowa who now lives near Charlotte, North Carolina, drove to Washington to see the monuments and fountains.
A three-time Trump voter, he said the president was doing a good job beautifying the capital city and that he backs the president’s policies, though Trump can get “a little carried away with attitude.”
On Iran, he said he trusted Trump’s judgment on when to end the war but did not want American troops sent in. He said Trump’s priority should be helping Republicans keep control of Congress in November because it would be “a long couple years” if the party lost the House of Representatives.
A RECAST CELEBRATION
The festival initially was set to feature a broad lineup of performers, including Poison frontman Bret Michaels, Young MC and the Commodores, but those acts and others withdrew amid concerns about joining a potentially partisan event.
The revised program included musical performances by Lee Greenwood and Christopher Macchio, two artists favored by Trump, and military bands.
Previous U.S. presidents also faced challenges that clouded anniversary celebrations, including a financial panic during John Quincy Adams’ presidency in 1826 and anger in 1976 over inflation, unemployment, the fall of Saigon and a decision to pardon former President Richard Nixon.
Many of those presidents nonetheless used the occasion to emphasize unifying themes. Gerald Ford’s top political adviser ordered speechwriters to avoid any “partisan insinuations” as they prepared for the 200th anniversary.
Ulysses Grant, marking the 100th anniversary in 1876, criticized “errors of judgment” by Southern rebels during the Civil War but also held out an olive branch by calling them courageous in their convictions.
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