Trump Delivers 38-Minute Address at America 250 Event After Weather Delay

The speech came after severe thunderstorms caused a roughly two-hour delay and forced the evacuation of parts of the Mall. Attendees returned after security screening once conditions stabilized.

The National Weather Service had warned of high temperatures over the weekend. The storm forced organizers to pause the program before the president took the stage. It remains unclear whether the weather-related delays shortened the final length of the remarks.

The address combined patriotic tributes to veterans from multiple generations with political messaging ahead of the midterm elections. Trump had said beforehand that he planned a lengthy speech. At an event in Medora on July 1 he stated the temperature would reach approximately 107 degrees and added he would deliver a really long speech just to show that he can do anything.

The 38-minute duration is shorter than several of his past major speeches, including a 2026 State of the Union address that lasted around one hour and 48 minutes and a 2025 joint session of Congress speech that ran approximately one hour and 39 minutes. His 2024 Republican National Convention acceptance speech lasted roughly one hour and 32 minutes.

“On July 4th, it’s going to be approximately 107 degrees out, and I’m gonna go. And I’m gonna make a really long speech just to show that I can do anything.”