Blue Angels to Perform in Washington Dc July 4 2019 Trump Gives Speech
With Flyovers and Flags, Trump Plays M.C. for the Fourth
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Highlights From Trump's Fourth of July Speech
President Trump spoke at the Lincoln Memorial during an Independence Day celebration. But he faced criticism from Democrats and military officials for the display of tanks and other weaponry.
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"Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, and the first lady of the United States, Melania Trump." "The first lady and I wish each and every one of you a happy Independence Day on this truly historic Fourth of July. Today we come together as one nation with this very special salute to America. We celebrate our history, our people and the heroes who proudly defend our flag, the brave men and women of the United States military — the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines, and very soon, the Space Force. I want you to know that we are going to be back on the moon very soon. And someday soon we will plant the American flag on Mars. It's happening, Gene, it's happening. Americans love our freedom, and no one will ever take it away from us. And it is our incredible airmen today who wield the most powerful weapon systems on the planet Earth. For over 65 years, no enemy air force has managed to kill a single American soldier because the skies belong to the United States of America. No enemy has attacked our people without being met by a roar of thunder and the awesome might of those who bid farewell to Earth and soar into the wild blue yonder. As long as we stay true to our cause, as long as we remember our great history, as long as we never, ever stop fighting for a better future, then there will be nothing that America cannot do." "U.S.A.! U.S.A! U.S.A! U.S.A!"
WASHINGTON — In a made-for-television Independence Day production starring America's military weaponry, President Trump on Thursday used the Lincoln Memorial as the backdrop for a tribute to the country's armed forces and a call for unity that has been largely absent during his divisive presidency.
Flanked by Bradley armored vehicles and M1A2 tanks in front of the statue of Abraham Lincoln, Mr. Trump paid homage to the five branches of the military as a chorus sang each service hymn and he cued the arrival of fighter jets, helicopters and other military aircraft as they roared overhead.
Speaking to a rain-soaked audience filled with troops decked out in "Make America Great Again" and "Trump 2020" paraphernalia, the president finally presided over the grand military display that he has wanted since witnessing the Bastille Day parade in Paris two years ago.
In a 45-minute speech delivered behind rain-streaked bulletproof glass, the president singled out a long list of Americans for their contributions to science, medicine, politics and the arts, and spun a history that praised everything from the civil rights movement to space exploration and praised everyone from the suffragists to Harriet Tubman to Chuck Yeager. But he spent most of his time recounting the progression of the armed forces, ending his remarks as the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" blared through huge speakers and the Blue Angels soared overhead.
"As long as we stay true to our cause — as long as we remember our great history — as long as we never, ever stop fighting for a better future — then there will be nothing that America cannot do," Mr. Trump declared to chants of "U.S.A., U.S.A." "God bless you, God bless the military, and God bless America. Happy Fourth of July."
Even before he spoke, the president's appearance on the National Mall drew fierce criticism from Democrats and some members of the military, who accused the president of using the military troops and equipment for his own political purposes.
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"Tanks aren't props. They are weapons of war," said Senator Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat and West Point graduate who served in the 82nd Airborne Division. Senator Kamala Harris of California, a Democratic candidate for president, said of Mr. Trump: "I don't think he understands, this is America's birthday, not his birthday."
But two weeks after formally announcing his re-election bid in Orlando, Fla., with a dark message of grievance and pointed attacks on his enemies, the president on Thursday offered a different, more optimistic tone. He imposed himself on Washington's usually nonpolitical Fourth of July celebration in what he called a "Salute to America" that avoided any of his usual attacks on the news media, Democrats or his intelligence agencies but placed him at the center.
"We all share a truly extraordinary heritage. Together, we are part of one of the greatest stories ever told — the story of America," he told a large crowd of people, many wearing the president's red, trademark "Make America Great Again" baseball caps. "To this day, that spirit runs through the veins of every American patriot."
Previous presidents have commandeered the Lincoln Memorial, but none had ever done it the way Mr. Trump did on Thursday, packing the audience with supporters and assuming the role of master of ceremonies.
In 2009, President Barack Obama held a star-studded inauguration party at the Lincoln Memorial two days before his swearing-in at the Capitol. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the Mall to hear a concert that included performances by Bruce Springsteen, U2, Beyoncé, Garth Brooks and more.
Eight years later, Mr. Trump first visited the Lincoln Memorial the night before his inauguration, delivering brief remarks and leading supporters lining the Reflecting Pool in chants of "make America great again."
On Thursday, the president spoke not far from where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech to nearly a quarter-million people in 1963, and Lincoln's decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation as a "great beacon light of hope" to millions of people.
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Thousands of people braved scorching, humid weather — and later heavy downpours — traveling to Washington to see the president and his promise of a "show of a lifetime." The president's festivities took place at the opposite end of the National Mall from Washington's traditional observance of Independence Day, an annual concert on the west lawn of the Capitol by the National Symphony Orchestra and this year the singer Carole King where the president's red "MAGA" hats were hard to find.
The president's supporters flocked to the event despite the oppressive heat and at-times heavy rain, delivering for Mr. Trump the kind of tableau he wanted for the cameras, filling almost all of the open spaces around the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial.
But many in the crowd seemed puzzled by the speech, in which Mr. Trump made no mention of congressional Democrats or Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel in the Russia investigation, or any of his presidential rivals — his usual targets at his rallies. In that way, the White House made good on its promise, having said Mr. Trump would avoid giving an overtly political speech.
Instead, the president — who never served in the armed forces and was deferred in the draft during the Vietnam War because of bone spurs in his heels — took a sometimes rambling trip through America's military history, recounting with reverence the early beginnings of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.
Many military families who received invitations to a V.I.P. section close to the president's stage appeared to all but ignore the usual understanding that members of the armed forces should not engage in partisan political activity. Many wore Trump's MAGA hats and openly campaigned for Trump's re-election, chanting, "Four more years."
Before Mr. Trump's arrival, supporters of the president huddled in the V.I.P. section under trees to escape a long downpour while the Marine Corps Band played a medley of patriotic songs, including "God Bless America." Brief cheers of "U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!" came from the military crowd pressed along the fence line.
Daniel P. Cortez, 68, of Stafford, Va., who was wounded in Vietnam as a Marine infantryman, sat in the V.I.P. section waiting for the president. Mr. Cortez, who works at a group that helps veterans deal with judicial issues, said he received an invitation from the White House on Monday.
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"I'm not a Republican. I'm an independent," said Mr. Cortez, the recipient of the Navy Commendation Medal for Valor, a Purple Heart and the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. "But when the White House calls, I'm not going to pass up a seat at an event like this. Patriots should go to any White House. I'm honored to go."
Jason Cullins, a truck driver from Lafayette, La., did not plan to come to the Trump event Thursday. He was on his way to drop off a load in New Jersey and decided to stop in Washington because he could not deliver on the Fourth of July.
"There's always a show in Washington, D.C., so I had to make a stop," he said as he held flags that said "Trump 2020" and "Make America Great Again." "You have everybody here. You have anti-Trump people, which I don't agree with, but by God that's what makes America great. We have freedom of speech. I have no problem with them."
Supporters of Mr. Trump were greeted by the large Trump baby balloon not far from the World War II Memorial. Code Pink, a liberal, antiwar group, organized the balloon as a way to mock the president. "It's disgusting that Trump has hijacked our national holiday and turned it into a celebration of him," said Medea Benjamin, a founder of Code Pink.
Mr. Trump has wanted to host the country's military since he declared the Paris parade to be the best he had ever seen. The president initially pushed for a similar military parade in Washington for Veterans Day in 2018, but fierce local opposition and a $90 million price tag for the event forced him to back down.
The president announced months ago his intention to speak on Fourth of July. But it was just in recent weeks that he demanded a robust military presence, including tanks and fighter jet flyovers.
That led to a mad scramble in the Defense Department to gather the military leaders who would attend. The Pentagon was given only a few days' notice that Trump wanted his defense secretary, all the Joint Chiefs and all the service secretaries by his side during his remarks.
Most of the Joint Chiefs were on leave or on travel and did not attend.
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Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/04/us/politics/trump-4th-july.html
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