America at 250: 'Identity of a nation is the destiny of a nation'

KEYSTONE, S.D. − President Donald Trump used the unmistakable faces of Mount Rushmore on July 3 to talk about another important identity - that of America.

"The identity of a nation is the destiny of a nation," he told the crowd gathered for his 250th birthday of America speech. Dressed in a blue suit and a purple tie, Trump stood under the 60-foot-tall faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.

He warned the crowd about what he has portrayed as the "communist" threat posed by ‌progressive Democrats.

"On the eve of this 250th anniversary of American liberty, we resolve and swear for all to hear that the citizens of the United States of America will vanquish Communism from our shores and send it into exile once and for all. America will never be a communist country," he said.

Trump has been making such points ​about gains by democratic socialists for a week now, but he made his most pointed and prolonged argument on that theme on Friday, coming as Americans grapple with persistent inflation and high gas prices since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

"In recent years, there has been an undeniable attempt to change this exceptional character, to beat the American spirit out of us, alienate us from our history, and make it impossible to even answer the question: 'What does it mean to be an American,'" Trump said.

Trump described the country as an "exceptional nation" saying no other country has done more good for the world as his family sat in the front row of the amphitheater. Donald Trump Jr. and his wife, Bettina who was dressed in red, Tiffany Trump, wearing blue and her husband, Michael Buolos as well as two of president's two sons.

This is the second time the national landmark has served as a backdrop for Trump's speech around Independence Day. He was there on July 4, 2020, the last year of his second term.

Before arriving at the landmark Trump got a high-altitude glimpse of the century-old national monument as Air Force One did two flyovers before touching down at the Ellsworth Air Force Base.

The event was hosted by Freedom 250, the group working with the administration to put on anniversary events. The celebration included fireworks, military bands, flyovers, tributes to the Armed Services.

Americans who turned up at Mount Rushmore to celebrate said they were proud and excited to be there in person.

"This is like a dream come true for us," said Heather Cooper, who wore a red, white, and blue hat.

Brian Hilton, who was dressed as George Washington for a performance, said that "words are inadequate to describe the level of the feeling, the profundity, the depth of feeling and just the patriotism."

Fritz Klein, who was dressed as Abraham Lincoln − complete with stovepipe top hat and bow tie − said "it was not easy to secure a ticket so I'm just pleased to be able to be here."

For Carmen Schramm of Yankton, South Dakota, it was a "patriotic, reflective day." Like many in the crowd, she donned sparkly red, white and blues and felt "so pleased."

"When (the President) is talking about all the ingenuity and how far we've come, and you're looking at the faces on the monument lit up right there, it's such a good reminder of what was done for us and how far we've come."

Contributing: Amanda Lee Myers; Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: America at 250: 'Identity of a nation is the destiny of a nation'

Reporting by Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy and Angela George, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

This story was originally published July 4, 2026 at 12:43 AM.