This archive report was first published on 5 July 2019.
On July 4, 2019, US President Donald Trump delivered a rousing Independence Day speech in Washington, celebrating the country's history, people, and heroes.
Trump, accompanied by Joint Chiefs Chairman General Joseph Dunford and acting Defense Secretary Mark Esper, praised the US military and American heroes of the past two and a half centuries.
“What a great country,” Trump exclaimed in an address saturated with patriotism and exceptionalism.
He declared the US “the most exceptional nation in the history of the world” and emphasized the country's strength, saying, “Our nation is stronger today than it ever was before. It is its strongest now.”
Trump's speech was a departure from his usual divisive rhetoric, as he avoided politics and instead focused on celebrating the country's achievements and the bravery of its military personnel.
Surrounded by top Pentagon officials and Republican VIPs, the event was seen as an opportunity for Trump to stake a strong claim to patriotic fervor ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
Despite criticism from Democratic opponents, including Joe Biden, who accused Trump of using the event to boost his ego, Trump's speech was met with cheers and applause from the rain-soaked audience on the National Mall.
