On a day meant for unity and celebration, President Donald Trump vowed to 含羞草研究社渟afeguard our values含羞草研究社� from enemies within 含羞草研究社� leftists, looters, agitators, he said 含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社渟lander含羞草研究社� him and disrespect the country含羞草研究社檚 past.
含羞草研究社淲e 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,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淲e will never allow an angry mob to tear down our statues, erase our history, indoctrinate our children.
含羞草研究社淎nd we will defend, protect and preserve (the) American way of life, which began in 1492 when Columbus discovered America.含羞草研究社�
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 含羞草研究社渟pecial evening含羞草研究社� of tribute and fireworks staged with new U.S. coronavirus infections on the rise.
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But the crowds wandering the National Mall for the night含羞草研究社檚 air show and fireworks were strikingly thinner than the gathering for last year含羞草研究社檚 jammed celebration on the Mall.
Many who showed up wore masks, unlike those seated close together for Trump含羞草研究社檚 South Lawn event, and distancing was easy to do for those scattered across the sprawling space.
Trump did not hesitate to use the country含羞草研究社檚 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.
含羞草研究社淥ur past is not a burden to be cast away,含羞草研究社� 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.
含羞草研究社淧OTUS said it would go away,含羞草研究社� Lee said of the pandemic, using an acronym for president of the United States. 含羞草研究社淢asks, I think, are like a hoax.含羞草研究社� 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.
含羞草研究社淲e chose to wear a mask to protect ourselves and others,含羞草研究社� Watt said. She said her family was divided on Trump but she is 含羞草研究社渕ore of a Trump supporter. Being from southern California I see socialist tendencies. I含羞草研究社檓 tired of paying taxes so others can stay home.含羞草研究社�
Pat Lee made the trip from north of Philadelphia after seeing last year含羞草研究社檚 Mall celebration on TV.
She said the protests over racial injustice that unfolded near her were so threatening that people in her suburban neighbourhood took turns staying up all night and those who didn含羞草研究社檛 own guns stationed bats and shovels in their garages. Her friend from Pennsylvania, who didn含羞草研究社檛 want to be identified, said she spent more than three hours in line to buy a gun.
含羞草研究社淚 want people to stop calling us racists,含羞草研究社� Lee said. 含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e not racists. Just because you love your country, love the people in your country, doesn含羞草研究社檛 make you a racist.含羞草研究社�
Trump含羞草研究社檚 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 含羞草研究社渢remendous courage and spirit含羞草研究社� 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含羞草研究社檚 Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest happened at an undisclosed location without spectators on hand, in advance of the evening含羞草研究社檚 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 travelling 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 含羞草研究社渕erciless campaign to wipe out our history.含羞草研究社�
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含羞草研究社檚 campaign said late Friday. Guilfoyle tweeted Saturday that she was looking forward to 含羞草研究社渁 speedy recovery.含羞草研究社�
In a presidential message Saturday morning on the 244th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, Trump acknowledged that 含羞草研究社渙ver the past months, the American spirit has undoubtedly been tested by many challenges.含羞草研究社�
His Democratic rival, Joe Biden, said in a statement that the U.S. 含羞草研究社渘ever lived up含羞草研究社� to its founding principle that 含羞草研究社渁ll men are created equal,含羞草研究社� but today 含羞草研究社渨e have a chance to rip the roots of systemic racism out of this country.含羞草研究社�
Trump含羞草研究社檚 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 含羞草研究社渙ur country is in great shape.含羞草研究社�
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 含羞草研究社減acked含羞草研究社� 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.
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Associated Press writers Zeke Miller in Washington, Michelle Liu in Columbia, South Carolina, and Sara Burnett in Chicago contributed to this report.
Lynn Berry And Aamer Madhani, The Associated Press
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