President Trump delivers Fourth of July speech on National Mall

President Trump delivered remarks on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on July 4, 2026, after severe weather forced a two-hour evacuation. The speech marked the 250th anniversary of American independence and included references to veterans and military history.

The president honored several veterans, including World War II service members, a Black officer who led a Special Forces team in Vietnam, and William Harvey Carney, who escaped slavery and later received the Medal of Honor for Civil War service.

Military references While listing past U.S. military actions, the president stated that recent operations had sunk Iran's navy. "You look at Venezuela, you look at Iran, we wiped it out, wiped out their military," he said. He compared the action to the 1898 sinking of a Spanish fleet.

Domestic policy comments The president also criticized communism and promoted the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship and photo identification to vote. The bill has not passed Congress. "We want to keep America great, and we will do so by approving the Save America Act," he said.