President Donald Trump ushered in the 250th anniversary of American independence on Friday with a speech that began by celebrating American exceptionalism before veering into a warning about the threat of communism to American liberty.

Speaking from Mount Rushmore, Trump said, ‘Communism is a mortal threat to American liberty. It is the greatest threat to our country, including World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor or even 9/11.’

Reaction to the Speech

The president’s speech was notable for being delivered in a national park that commemorates some of America’s most prominent presidents, and it swerved from the typically apolitical, unifying speeches past presidents like Gerald Ford or Ronald Reagan have delivered during earlier high-profile Independence Day celebrations.

In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, delivered his own address that cast America as a nation of contradictions ‘working each day towards the perfection in which it was conceived.’ Mamdani’s speech appeared to be a response to Trump’s divisive rhetoric, saying, ‘Those ideals upon which our nation was built — they are strong enough to endure any authoritarian regime, but only if we reach for them.’

As the rest of the country struggled under stifling heat, the Pacific Northwest enjoyed temperatures in the 60s with even a few light showers. World Cup soccer fans in Seattle were staying cool Friday as they got psyched up for Monday’s big game between the U.S. and Belgium.

The holiday is unfolding at a unique time in the U.S., with the anniversary serving as an opportunity for the country to reflect on its history while also reminding it of the political polarization of the moment.

Original reporting: WLWT Cincinnati — read the source article.