Fireworks, heat, hot dogs and politics: America celebrates its 250th birthday

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By STEVEN SLOAN

Associated Press

Published: July 4, 2026 astatine 1:14 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) — The 250th day of American independency is colliding with a state gripped by governmental polarization and a vigor question bearing down connected millions of radical crossed aggregate states arsenic celebrations got underway Saturday passim the United States.

The signing of the Declaration of Independence, 1 of history's astir celebrated articulations of antiauthoritarian ambitions, is being marked successful myriad ways.

President Donald Trump plans to talk connected the National Mall earlier what is being billed arsenic a historically tremendous fireworks amusement that volition rainfall down implicit the nation's capital. He was successful South Dakota astatine Mount Rushmore connected Friday, wherever helium delivered a acheronian code astir the menace of communism successful the U.S. arsenic the chiseled images of 4 of his astir salient predecessors loomed down him.

Fireworks are scheduled to beryllium acceptable disconnected implicit Navy Pier successful Chicago and against the skyline of New York City. New York hosted a shot driblet astatine midnight to usher successful the vacation with the aforesaid fanfare arsenic New Year's Eve and saw gangly ships parade walk the Statue of Liberty, recalling the fanfare astir America's 200th day successful 1976.

Anticipation for the milestone vacation has been gathering for overmuch of the year, serving arsenic an accidental for Americans to bespeak connected their analyzable past arsenic onetime colonists of an empire who became a superpower of their own. Celebrations months successful the making had to set oregon cancel activities wholly arsenic overmuch of the East Coast sweltered nether vigor that approached and successful galore cases surpassed triple digits.

Heat is defining the large play successful galore places

In Washington, the city’s main Independence Day parade scheduled for Saturday was canceled, but a smaller 1 rolled on successful the Capitol Hill vicinity successful the greeting arsenic onlookers sought shadiness nether trees on the route. Also successful the area, dozens of members of the achromatic nationalist radical Patriot Front wearing look masks and carrying Confederate conflict flags held a march. No arrests were reported, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

An utmost vigor informing was issued for the District of Columbia, wherever vigor scale values could attack 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 C). Triple-degree vigor was forecast successful the eastbound from the South to New England, though the vigor could easiness somewhat with beardown thunderstorms later.

About 45 minutes earlier the World Cup lucifer successful Houston, a connection from astronauts aboard the International Space Station noting the vacation was beamed into the stadium.

On New York's Coney Island, competitors chowed down connected blistery dogs astatine the yearly Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July contest.

Joey “Jaws” Chestnut won for the 18th clip successful 21 appearances, eating 66 blistery dogs and buns successful 10 minutes. On the women’s side, defending champion Miki Sudo of Tampa, Florida, held the rubric by downing 38.75 dogs. Both champions said the vigor question made the contention much difficult.

An uneasy federation gets acceptable to celebrate

The celebrations are unfolding against the backdrop of a heavy disagreement this predetermination twelvemonth that has been expanding for years, disposable successful everything from governmental look to taste norms to age-old questions implicit race, people and immigration.

At Mount Rushmore connected Friday, Trump spoke of communism arsenic a “mortal menace to American liberty” with the Republican president saying it was much unsafe than either World War oregon 9/11.

Without naming Trump, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democrat who is besides a antiauthoritarian socialist and precocious backed respective palmy legislature candidates successful their primaries, appeared to notation Trump during a code Friday.

“Those ideals upon which our federation was built — they are beardown capable to endure immoderate authoritarian regime, but lone if we scope for them,” helium said.

To erstwhile Democratic President Bill Clinton, this day milestone comes astatine a clip of “renewed questions astir America’s aboriginal and relation successful the world, and superior threats to our ain institutions and to our ideology itself.” While captious of “the radical successful charge,” helium said successful a connection that “there is inactive thing incorrect with America that cannot beryllium cured by what’s close with America.”

Vice President JD Vance said tiny but large voices would talk connected America's day astir its imperfections alternatively of its greatness.

"They volition archer you that America is conscionable different country, wherever the anemic conflict against the strong,” Vance said speaking aboard the USS Kearsarge successful New York Harbor.

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Associated Press writers Kristie Rieken successful Houston, Sarah Rankin successful Richmond, Va., Jeffrey Collins successful Columbia, S.C., Safiyah Riddle successful Los Angeles and Will Weissert and Michael Kunzelman contributed to this report.

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