Donald J. Trump marks America’s 250th birthday with Mount Rushmore speech on liberty
posted a passage from his July 3 Mount Rushmore address celebrating the nation's semiquincentennial and the character of its people.
WHITE HOUSE — Donald J. Trump celebrated the 250th anniversary of American independence by posting a passage from his Mount Rushmore speech on Truth Social on July 4, 2026 at 4:40 PM EST.
Here is the full post (see truthsocial): “Liberty has prevailed here because of the culture and the character of the people who declared it, defended it, and preserved it—We reach a milestone like no other and celebrate with joyful hearts and soaring spirits…”
The post included a video attachment by mentioning the source (see static-assets-1.truthsocial). The quoted passage comes from a speech Trump delivered at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota shortly after 11 p.m. ET on July 3, 2026, launching the nationwide America250 celebrations that mark the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 (see Google).
Trump framed the 250th anniversary as a defining moment for the country. “Tonight we gather on the eve of one of the most extraordinary days in the history of the world,” he said at the monument, which bears the carved faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt (see Google). The event featured military tributes, flyovers and a fireworks display beneath the iconic South Dakota landmark.
Throughout the address, Trump argued that American liberty endured not only because of the nation’s founding documents but because of its people. “Liberty has prevailed here because of the culture and character of the people who declared it, defended it and preserved it,” he said, calling preservation of that character “the core patriotic duty of every American” (see Google). He also pledged to restore national identity, declaring, “We’re going to give our country its identity back.”
The Mount Rushmore ceremony opened a series of celebrations planned across the United States, with major events scheduled in Washington, New York, Philadelphia and other cities (see meaww.com). Some festivities faced disruption from an intense heatwave gripping large parts of the country. Trump was expected to continue the commemorations with a “Salute to America” address in Washington on Independence Day (see theindianpanorama.news).
In the last 30 days, 32 of 498 Trump posts were on the topic of culture, making this post part of a recurring theme in his social media activity.
Source: Zenger real-time database of all Truth Social posts.
Note: Chart generated on July 4, 2026 at 4:46 PM EST
Source: Zenger analysis
Note: Table generated by https://zenger.news on July 4, 2026 at 4:46 PM EST