President Donald Trump announced a slew of events to celebrate America’s 250th birthday next year, including a parade, athletic competition for high schoolers and fair on the National Mall.
The president said a new organization — called Freedom 250 — would work with states, companies and organizations across the country to put on the events.
“We will renew the patriotism, pride and pioneering spirit of America and lay the groundwork for the next 250 years of independence and freedom,” Trump said in a video taped in the Oval Office and released Thursday.
Trump has made no secret of his enthusiasm for big spectacle events, and the semiquincentennial also coincides with the US hosting soccer’s World Cup, offering an international audience for some of the events. But the celebration also comes as surveys show Americans deeply concerned about the economy and politically divided, and critics have increasingly argued that Trump is distracted from pocketbook issues.
The president’s supporters, however, say the events give him an opportunity to reach voters who might not otherwise be politically engaged to celebrate the nation.
Plans include what Trump has dubbed the “Patriot Games” — a four-day athletic competition that features high school athletes from each state.
There are also plans for a “Spirit of America” parade on Memorial Day, as well as a Great American State Fair held on the National Mall next summer.
The capstone event will be Independence Day, where events include a “major” Trump address, a military flyover in the capital city and what Freedom 250 claimed would be the largest fireworks display in the world.
Other events include a national prayer event on the National Mall next spring that “will rededicate the nation as One Nation Under God.”
Keith Krach, who previously served as the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment during Trump’s first term, was named the head of Freedom 250.
Trump also touted construction of a new arch he plans to build near Arlington National Cemetery, and a UFC event that planned at the White House on June 14 — coinciding both with Flag Day and the president’s 80th birthday.
(Reporting by Kate Sullivan)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Bloomberg news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
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