On the night of Sunday, July 5, grand celebrations took place across the United States to mark the 250th anniversary of the country's independence. However, the centerpiece of the festivities — President Donald Trump's speech in Washington — was threatened by the whims of nature. Powerful thunderstorms and squalls that hit the capital forced organizers to take unprecedented safety measures.

Evacuation from the National Mall

The main venue for the holiday events was the National Mall in Washington. It was here, according to the original plan, that the head of state was scheduled to speak at 21:45 (04:45 Kyiv time). However, the approach of severe storms forced authorities to decide on the evacuation of guests, artists, and staff.

Freedom 250 press secretary Daniel Alvarez officially confirmed the situation, stating that the safety of participants is the absolute priority. In coordination with the US Secret Service, park police, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an evacuation was declared.

President's Reaction and Schedule Change

Donald Trump himself reacted to the weather cataclysms with characteristic optimism. Confirming the postponement of his speech, he stated that storms bring luck and make events more interesting.

"We'll wait, it doesn't matter to me if it's 2 a.m. now or in an hour... It's Saturday night, let's have fun, even if we stay out late," the president noted.

As a result, Trump's speech was postponed to 23:00, more than an hour later than scheduled. According to media reports, once weather conditions stabilize, guests will be allowed to return to the National Mall, but they will have to go through the security screening procedure again. Immediately after the president's speech, a grand fireworks display is scheduled.

Weather Collapse Across the Country

Weather problems affected not only the capital. Due to thunderstorm fronts, fireworks launches were postponed or canceled in many US cities:

  • In Hartford (Connecticut), the fireworks display was completely canceled due to a thunderstorm.
  • In Baltimore, the launch was postponed to a later time — 22:00.
  • In New York and Tulsa, on the contrary, organizers decided to hold fireworks ahead of schedule to beat the storms.

Even the air show over Washington, which began at 13:00 on Saturday, was shortened. It was expected that planes would fly every 10–20 minutes for nine hours, but due to bad weather, flights ended several hours ahead of schedule.

Diplomatic Background of the Holiday

Against the backdrop of weather twists and turns in Washington, important diplomatic contacts continued. On Saturday, July 4, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with Donald Trump. The Ukrainian leader congratulated the US on Independence Day, thanked them for their assistance, and discussed the war situation. The sides agreed on detailed negotiations at the upcoming NATO summit in Turkey.

It was also reported that Trump spoke with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who also sent holiday greetings and touched on the topic of the conflict in Ukraine. At this moment, Donald Trump has already begun his speech in honor of the country's independence anniversary, despite all the weather difficulties.