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| Date | July 4, 2019 (2019-07-04) |
|---|---|
| Time | 6:30–7:30pmEST[1] |
| Venue | National Mall |
| Location | Washington, D.C., United States |
| Coordinates | 38°53′21.4″N77°3′0.5″W / 38.889278°N 77.050139°W /38.889278; -77.050139 |
The2019 Salute to America was an event arranged by thefirst Trump administration held onIndependence Day, July 4, 2019, inWashington, D.C. It took place at theNational Mall and included presentations of U.S. military vehicles, an address by PresidentDonald Trump from theLincoln Memorial,flyovers by military aircraft, and a fireworks display. The event occurred alongside pre-existing annual Independence Day events such as theNational Independence Day Parade and thePBS-televisedA Capitol Fourth concert. It was the first time a U.S. president had addressed a crowd at the National Mall on Independence Day in 68 years.
There was controversy leading up to the event. Trump's critics expressed concern that the celebration would be apolitical event reminiscent of his campaign rallies, especially in the early stages of his2020 re-election campaign. Concerns were also raised over the involvement of the military, the distribution ofVIPtickets to donors and members of theRepublican Party, as well as the cost of the event.
Trump's speech focused largely on praising the United States' cultural and military accomplishments and featured themes ofAmerican exceptionalism and patriotism.
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In 2017, President Donald Trump was invited by French PresidentEmmanuel Macron to attend theBastille Daymilitary parade in Paris on July 14, in honor of the countries'diplomatic relations and the centenary of theUnited States' entry into World War I.[2] Following the parade, Trump expressed admiration for the event and said he wanted the United States to "top it" with a similar, military-focused event. Trump proposed amilitary parade be held in Washington onVeterans Day in 2018, in honor of thecentenary ofWorld War I's conclusion. However, Trump later withdrew the proposal due to cost concerns.[3][4]
In February 2019, Trump announced onTwitter plans for a "Salute to America" celebration on Independence Day, promising entertainment, a "major" fireworks display and "an address by your favorite President, me!" It was later revealed that this speech would be given from the steps of theLincoln Memorial.[5][6] Trump would become the first president to speak there sinceHarry Truman marked the 175th anniversary of the signing of theDeclaration of Independence in an address from the National Mall on Independence Day, 1951.[7]
TheNational Park Service stated that Trump's event was not expected to conflict with other traditional Independence Day events held at the Capitol like theNational Independence Day Parade, the televisedA Capitol Fourth concert, and its associated fireworks display— although, due to Salute to America, fireworks were launched fromWest Potomac Park, rather than theLincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The producers ofA Capitol Fourth distanced themselves from the president's planned festivities, emphasizing they were an independent and separate event.[8][9] Due to Trump's presence, theFederal Aviation Administration suspended flights atReagan Airport during the event.[10]
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TheDepartment of Defense and theWhite House have not confirmed the total cost of the event. As of July 11, 2019, a "rough total" cost was reported to be $5.4 million.[11]
It was reported that $2.45 million in entrance and recreation fees were diverted from the National Park Service to cover logistical and medical services—funds normally intended for maintenance and improvements tonational parks.[12][13][14] D.C. mayorMuriel Bowser said the city's additional security costs for the event amounted to $1.7 million, not including police management of demonstrations. Funding was provided by the District's Emergency Planning and Security Fund; a congressional committee was subsequently formed on July 12 to seek reimbursement of this fund by the White House.[11][15]
The military's role in Salute to America cost the Department of Defense $1.2 million, including the cost of flying hours for the aerial demonstrations and logistics, particularly transportation for the twoM1 Abrams tanks, the twoM2 BradleyIFVs, and related equipment.The Pentagon stated that this funding came from training budgets, but did not provide a breakdown of the figure, causing speculation that $1.2 million is a low estimate.[16] The Department of Defense noted it has a "long history of showcasing military assets to the country" and spends comparable amounts of money, if not more, during events such asFleet Week. For example, the 2017San Francisco Fleet Week cost $1.8 million, and the 2018Los Angeles Fleet Week cost $1.6 million.[17][18]
Fireworks by Grucci produced the fireworks display, while Phantom Fireworks donated $750,000 in additional shells; both companies donated a combined $1.3 million inpyrotechnics for the show. The display was held in tandem with annual Independence Day fireworks produced byGarden State Fireworks under contract with the National Park Service. It was subsequently promoted as surpassing theBicentennial fireworks as one of the largest fireworks displays in Washington, D.C., in terms of size and length.[19][20]
ABC News reported that Phantom Fireworks CEO Bruce Zoldan had met with Trump in May 2019 to discuss proposed expansions of U.S.trade tariffs against China that would have added tariffs on pyrotechnics. China is the largest producer of pyrotechnics in the world, and the majority of fireworks in the U.S. are imported from there.[21][22][23] At theG20 summit the following month, Trump announced he would resume trade talks with China and postpone additional tariffs.[24] In an interview withWTOP-FM, Zoldan stated that discussions regarding Phantom's involvement in the show pre-dated the meeting by two months and that the meeting was a general discussion on tariffs, not from the perspective of any specific industry.[23]
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Salute to America featured fireworks, sevenflyovers, and musical performances, as well as the first address from theNational Mall on Independence Day by a sitting president in 68 years.[25] Trump's address honored the history of the United States and praised the achievements of historical American figures, includingGeorge Washington,John Adams,Thomas Jefferson,Betsy Ross,Frederick Douglass,Harriet Tubman,Amelia Earhart,Douglas MacArthur,Fred Trump,Dwight D. Eisenhower,Martin Luther King Jr.,Jackie Robinson, andJohn Glenn. Special guests included Florida hurricane volunteer Tina "Angel" Belcher, cancer biologistEmil J. Freireich,Civil rights movement hero Clarence Henderson, and flight director forNASA'sApollo 11 missionGene Kranz.[26]
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Salute to America featured an overarching theme of American military appreciation and patriotism. Trump requested the inclusion oftanks,[27][28] and that the chiefs of theAir Force,Army,Marines, andNavy stand next to him on stage during the event.[29] However, due to preparations beginning only weeks prior to the occasion, most of thejoint chiefs were on leave or traveling and were not available to attend.[30] Thechairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, GeneralJoseph Dunford Jr., was available and attended, joining the president and then-ActingSecretary of DefenseMark Esper on stage halfway through the president's address.[31] Trump had wanted tanks to be part of the parade, but was told they were too heavy and could "tear up the streets". Instead, two Abrams tanks and two Bradley infantry fighting vehicles were put on static display.[32][33]
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TheUnited States Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon performedexhibition drills and theMarine Drum and Bugle Corps,ArmyOld Guard Fife and Drum Corps and theArmy Band (Pershing's Own) provided musical performances. The Army Band performed several renditions during Trump's address, including "Semper Paratus", "The U.S. Air Force", "Anchors Aweigh", "Marines' Hymn", and "The Army Goes Rolling Along" (all of which make up theArmed Forces Medley).[34][26]
Military equipment representing each service branch of theUnited States Armed Forces were showcased and demonstrated. TwoM1A2 Abrams tanks and twoM2 BradleyIFVs from the3rd Infantry Division were put on stationary display around the Lincoln Memorial for the public while aircraft representing each service branch conducted flyovers during Trump's address. Trump introduced theCoast Guard first, represented by twoHH-60 Jayhawks and anHH-65 Dolphin helicopter fromCoast Guard Station, Annapolis, Maryland. Subsequent flyovers included: aB-2 Spirit from the509th Bomb Wing escorted by twoF-22 Raptors from the1st Fighter Wing, twoF-35 Joint Strike Fighters fromVFA-147 and twoF/A-18 Hornets fromVFA-37 together indiamond formation, twoV-22 Ospreys fromHMX-1, and fourAH-64 Apache helicopters from the101st Combat Aviation Brigade. Presidential aircraft, particularly theAir Force One aircraft and the next-generationVH-92Marine One, also participated.[18] The aerial demonstrations were followed up by a performance by the Navy'sBlue Angels flight demonstration squadron.[35][36][26]
A perimeter was constructed around the Lincoln Memorial with wire fencing spanning the Reflecting Pool to separate the ticketed areas intended for VIP spectators from the public.[37][38] VIP tickets were distributed to theRepublican National Committee (RNC), government officials, GOP donors, and other political allies.[39][40][41][42]Politico reported that some donors andRepublican Party members were reluctant to attend the event as they were already on vacation elsewhere. It also reported that lotteries were being held to give away blocks of 10 tickets each to White House employees. This is a common practice for White House events, but not normally in such a large quantity.[43]
Concerns over the attendance at the event were compared to the Trump administration'sclaims regarding crowd size and viewership of his 2017 inauguration.[44] Official estimates of the number of attendees were not immediately available. Multiple photographs taken during the event showed large crowds both within the guest section and of the public on the National Mall, including tourists and general event-goers.[45] Weather affected the event; rainstorms passed through the area, whiletemperature inversion caused the smoke from the fireworks display to accumulate, partially obscuring spectators' views of the show.[46][47]
Of the majorcable news channels, onlyFox News Channel agreed to air continual live coverage, withCNN andMSNBC initially declining in favor of previously scheduled encore programming.C-SPAN also aired the event. The news departments of theBig Three television networks relegated live coverage to their respective digital platforms.[48][49] Both CNN and Fox News carried Trump's speech given in front of the Lincoln Memorial live. CNN's coverage of the event averaged 1.5 million viewers, with 353,000 viewers among adults 25–54 years old—a key demographic foradvertisers. MSNBC's coverage garnered a total audience of 374,000 viewers and 42,000 among 25–54 year olds. Fox News had the largest viewership, with an average 4.6 million viewers and 793,000 among adults aged 25–54. This beat CNN and MSNBC's combined viewership in both categories and toppedNBC'sprime time coverage of theMacy's Independence Day fireworks show fromNew York City, which averaged 3.8 million total viewers—its lowest ratings in four years. It was Fox News Channel's highest Independence Day audience since its founding in October 1996.[50][51]
President Trump's supporters and allies considered the event to be a display of the president's pride in the country and its military.[43] Comparisons were drawn to "Honor America Day"—a 1970 Independence Day rally at the Capitol in support ofRichard Nixon, in the wake of controversy over theinvasion of Cambodia and theKent State shootings. That event also faced opposition, notably byanti-Vietnam War protesters and other protesters smokingcannabis in support of itslegalization.[52][53]
Prior to the event, Michelle Cottle ofThe New York Times, former House RepublicanDavid Jolly, and radio hostCharlie Sykes accused Trump of turning the "non-partisan" Independence Day holiday into a political event—co-opting the celebration to promote his2020 presidential re-election campaign.[7]
Pre-event concerns were also expressed over the prominent incorporation of the military; retiredlieutenant generalDavid Barno toldPolitico that Salute to America "looks like it's becoming much more of a Republican Party event—a political event about the president—than a national celebration of the Fourth of July" and that it was "absolutely obscene" for Trump to "[use] the armed forces in a political ploy for his reelection campaign."[54][55] Some military and Pentagon officials had raised similar concerns.[43]Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington noted that Department of Defense rules forbid military members from participating in political events and that theHatch Act could also potentially apply.[56] Some media outlets also reported on the potential damage military vehicles could cause to local roads.[57][58] It was later confirmed that while military vehicles would be featured during the event, they would be parked on the National Mall and not parading.[59]
Democratic SenatorTom Udall argued it was "unacceptable that theInterior Department is failing to inform Congress about how it plans to spend taxpayer money to fund the president's lavish July 4th plans, which reportedly include special access to the National Mall for the politically connected." Trump downplayed these concerns, saying that the event would cost "very little compared to what it is worth".[12] The Republican National Committee defended its distribution of tickets, citing it as common practice for the incumbent party's committee to distribute tickets to events of this nature.[43]
Journalist and writerJeff Greenfield noted that prior presidents had given speeches on Independence Day and political parties have used the holiday as a platform since their inception. He added that the inclusion of military equipment could be excused as Trump's attempt to "emulate Thomas Jefferson" in 1801 rather than an authoritarian celebration ofmilitarism "more common toMoscow andPyongyang." However, Greenfield did argue that Trump, with his affinity for "over-the-top celebrations and honors", was "wreathing himself" in the monuments of the Capitol, "the most potent symbols of American history ... without any appreciation for the history that made that whole landscape possible."[7]
The National Park Service issued a permit allowing the activist organizationCode Pink to display aDonald Trump baby balloon during the event. It was grounded and did not contain helium to enable it to float. The group also brought the animatronicDump Trump sculpture—a caricature of Trump using his phone while sitting on a golden toilet.[60][61]
Around 5:30 pm local, an hour before Trump's speech, two members of theRevolutionary Communist Party were arrested bySecret Service officers after scuffles broke out with counter-protesters during aflag burning protest in front of the White House. One of those arrested was charged with malicious burning and felony assault on a police officer, and the other with obstructing a police investigation and resisting arrest. The Secret Service said the flag burning display occurred "outside the limits of a permit issued by the National Park Service."[62]
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David Smith ofThe Guardian acknowledged that Trump's 47-minute speech "did not fulfill his critics' worst fears of a politically partisan, campaign-style rally", and mostly avoided partisan politics in favor of "a heroic version of American military history". However, Smith suggested that the event as a whole did "provide the bombastic show of military might that had been widely predicted" and noted the event resembled a Trump campaign rally because many audience members chanted pro-Trump slogans, woreMake America Great Again hats and held "Trump 2020" signs. He observed that "in a city that projects power through monuments, statues and its own Capitol, critics said it was the moment Trump went fullRoman emperor, turning a traditionally nonpartisan day of events into a vanity project."[63]
Trump was criticized for making incorrect statements about theAmerican Revolutionary War in a section of the speech, recounting that theContinental Army "took over the airports"—airplanes were yet to be invented—and had "nothing but victory" in theBattle of Baltimore, which took place during theWar of 1812, not the Revolutionary War.[64] Trump attributed the "airports" gaffe to histeleprompter malfunctioning and being difficult to read in the rain.[65][66] SomeCanadian news outlets took exception to Trump referencingAlexander Graham Bell's invention of thetelephone as a result of the United States' "unleashed" "culture of discovery"; Bell was Scottish-born and spent time in both Canada and the United States while developing the telephone, though he did file his firstpatent on the telephone in the United States.[67][68]
In a letter to Trump after the event, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser asked for reimbursement of the city's expenses, saying Salute to America had exhausted D.C.'s Emergency Planning and Security Fund, a federally funded reserve account intended to reimburse the city for extra security and anti-terrorism measures during large federal events. She said the costs of "your additional July 4th holiday activities and subsequent First Amendment demonstrations" had depleted the account and would soon leave it in the red.[69]
On July 8, three Democratic members of theSenate Appropriations Committee requested theGovernment Accountability Office investigate the costs and legality of the event.[70] Also on July 8, Trump announced his intentions to hold a second Salute to America event in 2020,[71] although, in 2020, the occurrence of the event was called into question due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United States, with at least ten lawmakers having asked President Trump to cancel the planned second celebration.[72] The administration nevertheless held the2020 Salute to America on July 4, 2020.
Trump has been fixated since early in his term on putting on a military-heavy parade or other celebration modeled on France's Bastille Day celebration, which he attended in Paris in 2017.
| External videos | |
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 President Donald Trump gives Fourth of July address from Lincoln Memorial (2019) - POLITICO |
Media related to2019 Salute to America at Wikimedia CommonsFirst presidency of Donald Trump (2017–2021) | |||||||||||
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