Donald Trump is set to deliver the Trump Rushmore speech at the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., on Saturday night after severe weather delayed some America 250 events. Freedom 250 organizers said at 9:10 p.m. local time that Trump directed gates at the National Mall to reopen at 9:45 p.m.
He is scheduled to speak at 11 p.m., and a record-setting fireworks show will follow immediately. The celebration is tied to the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, with dozens of aircraft flyovers scheduled through the day.
Washington, D.C. weather delays
The day started with heat and ended with a reopening. Attendees in Washington were braving temperatures in excess of 100 degrees, and the heat forced a temporary closure of the fair on Friday before severe weather interrupted events earlier Saturday evening.
Freedom 250 organizers said the nation's 250th birthday celebration would proceed rain or shine. That frame set up the night’s reset: gates reopening, the speech staying on the schedule, and the fireworks moving ahead after the remarks.
Bret Baier shelters inside trailer
The celebrations also produced a smaller but striking scene for Bret Baier, the Special Report host. He took shelter inside a trailer during Washington, D.C., Fourth of July celebrations with a group of World War II heroes, among them a 103-year-old veteran who fought across France, Holland and Germany.
The veteran said, "I'm only 103, how about that." He also said, "I had the best parents you could have and they taught me how to live.", "All the people here are so glad to be free," and "Glad to be here and love America, I love that." Those remarks matched the mood organizers were trying to preserve as the crowd waited for Trump’s address.
National Mall reopening at 9:45 p.m.
The U.S. Secret Service said a screening area, mandatory for prior evacuees, would reopen shortly after the gates reopened. That left attendees with one clear next step: return through the reopened gates, clear screening if they had already evacuated, and stay in place for the 11 p.m. remarks and the fireworks that follow.
