WASHINGTON (AP) — Festivities marking the 250th anniversary of American independence are ramping up across the United States. President Donald Trump spoke from Mount Rushmore, where he called the holiday “one of the most extraordinary days in the history of the world.”
New York City’s Times Square a ball drop at midnight kicked off the July Fourth holiday.
Across much of the country, extreme heat is a concern this holiday. Philadelphia canceled its Salute to Independence parade. The Great American State Fair, on the National Mall in Washington, shut down for a few hours in the early afternoon even as more than 200 people were waiting in line for the Ferris wheel.
PHOTO – President Donald Trump speaks at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Friday, July 3, 2026, near Keystone, S.D. (AP Photo/Matt Gade)