Defying Scorching Heat
Trump plans lengthy July 4 speech on National Mall despite extreme 100+ degree heat warning
Anonymous
President Donald Trump says he will deliver a "really long" speech on the National Mall on July 4, with Washington, D.C. temperatures expected to hit 107°F. He made the announcement during a stop in North Dakota, saying he would speak "just to show I can do anything." Wave3 reported the National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Heat Warning for the area, with the heat index potentially reaching 115°F.
The address is part of the "Salute to America 250" event, marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. Trump's speech is scheduled for 9:45 PM — delayed from 9:00 PM because of the heat — followed by a fireworks show at 11:00 PM that aims to set a Guinness World Record with 850,000 shells.
A Heat Dome Sets Records on Independence Day
The National Weather Service warns July 4, 2026, could be the hottest Independence Day ever recorded, breaking the 100°F mark set in 1919, according to CBS News. A heat dome — a bubble of trapped hot air — is pressing down on the central and eastern U.S. About 142 million Americans are currently under an extreme heat warning or watch.
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser activated an Extreme Heat Alert on July 1, running through July 5. She urged residents to drink water before they feel thirsty and to get home right after the fireworks. NOAA scientist Jessica Lee warned that because this is the first big heat wave of the summer, people's bodies have not yet adjusted — making heat stroke far more likely, according to States Newsroom.
Trump Frames Speech as a Personal Stamina Test
Trump announced the plan during a July 1 speech at the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota. "On July 4, it's going to be approximately 107 degrees out," he said. "And I'm gonna go, and I'm gonna make a really long speech, just to show I can do anything," according to The Mirror US.
Analysts say the move is calculated. By insisting on a long speech in extreme heat, Trump is trying to show physical strength and contrast himself with political rivals, effectively turning a national holiday into a personal endurance display, Axios noted. He has also called the event a "rally" on Truth Social, blurring the line between national celebration and political event.
Freedom 250's Money Trail Draws Congressional Fire
The event is organized by Freedom 250, a White House-backed LLC. On July 2, House Democrats released a report claiming consultants tied to Trump moved millions in donations away from the bipartisan America250 commission — the group Congress created in 2016 — and into Freedom 250, according to the Associated Press. The Department of the Interior transferred $68 million in federal funds to support Freedom 250 events.
The House Natural Resources Committee is now investigating whether Freedom 250 committed wire fraud by tricking donors into sending money to the Trump-linked group instead of the official commission, WUSA9 reported. Representative Jared Huffman called Freedom 250 a "shadow organization" built to exploit public charity for political gain.
Past Trump Rallies Foreshadow July 4 Safety Fears
This is not the first time Trump supporters have faced dangerous heat at his events. In the three months before July 2026, at least 78 attendees at Trump rallies in Arizona and other Sun Belt states were hospitalized for heat exhaustion, the Washington Post reported. In 2020, supporters fainted during a 96°F rally in Tampa, and others needed hospital care after freezing in Omaha.
City officials warn that the late schedule makes things worse. With security set to "inauguration level," leaving the Mall will be slow. Every delay keeps thousands of people — many of them elderly — standing in dangerous heat well past midnight, according to Axios. Trump's first "Salute to America" in 2019 cost $13 million, double the typical amount for a July 4 celebration on the Mall.
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