SALUTE TO AMERICA
Trump plans huge July 4 fireworks show despite DC’s concerns When President Donald Trump speaks at the Mount Rushmore national memorial Friday evening before the first fireworks show there in years, he’ll stand before a crowd of thousands of people who wo
— Interior Secretary David Bernhardt
WASHINGTON » President Donald Trump’s July Fourth celebration on the National Mall will feature one of the largest fireworks displays ever and as many as 300,000 face masks will be given away to those who want them — but despite health concerns from D.C.’s mayor, no one apparently will be required to wear them.
Trump made no mention of the masks or of the pandemic overall in a tweet on his Independence Day plans. He thanked corporate donors for supporting “what will, without question, be a special evening.”
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt outlined a second year of military-focused events in the nation’s capital on July Fourth, including Defense Department flyovers for a “one-of-a-kind air show.”
“President Trump’s 2020 Salute to America will be a patriotic tribute to our men and women in uniform,” Bernhardt said in a statement.
A mile-long firing of 10,000 fireworks will be “the largest in recent memory,” he said.
July Fourth comes as Americans are dealing with surging cases of COVID-19 and confusion over best practices in public, especially on masks. Trump has been criticized for pushing to go ahead with large campaign rallies and other public gatherings, like the upcoming holiday event, despite the increased risks of infection.
Among those deeply concerned is Washington Mayor
“President Trump’s 2020 Salute to America will be a patriotic tribute to our men and women in uniform.”
Muriel Bowser, who doesn’t have the right to shut down the holiday spectacle because it’s on federal land, but warned the federal government about the obvious dangers of such a large crowd.
Bowser said she had briefly read through the Interior Department’s