By Nandita Bose and Trevor Hunnicutt
WASHINGTON, June 24 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump opened a 16-day celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary with a political rally on Wednesday, the start of festivities shaped by controversy over his polarizing approach to governing and efforts to remake Washington.
Eager to pivot from a divisive war in Iran, Trump sought to use the event on the National Mall to tout a country he often takes credit for restoring to greatness ahead of the Independence Day milestone on July 4.
The Mall was festooned with patriotic decor including American flags and Freedom 250 signs on the large covered stage, as military jets periodically flew overhead. “The Great American State Fair” was splashed across the top and big screens sat on either side, with the Washington Monument visible in the distance.
Nearby, a newly erected Ferris wheel stood 110 feet (33.5 meters) tall and was due to offer rides starting on Thursday.
“As we stand on the edge of our 250th year of independence, I am thrilled to declare that America is back,” Trump told thousands of people in the crowd from behind a wall of bullet-proof glass that extended across the stage.
“Just like those patriots of 1776, over the past 17 months, we have taken power back from the far-off political class,” Trump said, referring to his return to the White House after one term under Democratic President Joe Biden.
The event underscored how Trump has blurred the line between official commemoration and campaign-style politics, repackaging a public fair in the heart of the nation’s capital around the rally format that has defined his presidency.
The anniversary events have been marked by months of friction, including unconventional programming, the withdrawal of several musical acts and Trump’s renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool near the site of the celebrations.
The event comes at a difficult political moment for Trump. The nearly four-month-old Iran war has pushed consumer prices to a three-year high and unnerved many voters, and the White House is working to counter perceptions that the term-limited Republican is becoming a lame-duck president.
Just one in four Americans believes the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran was worth its costs, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found, and only 34% approve of Trump’s overall performance in office 17 months into his second term.
CALL FOR UNITY
People attending the rally expressed support for Trump but also wished he would seek more national unity and tone down some of his flourishes.
Louisiana couple Duane Hartman, 57, and his wife, Angela, 56, were visiting Washington for the first time when they saw signs for the Trump rally and decided to attend.
“I hope he says something to unify the country,” said Hartman, an assistant principal at a public high school, who also expressed hope the war in Iran could end quickly.
Steve Dallenbach, 73, a retired home builder originally from Iowa who now lives near Charlotte, North Carolina, drove to Washington to see the monuments and fountains.
A three-time Trump voter, he said the president was doing a good job beautifying the capital city and that he backs the president’s policies, though Trump can get “a little carried away with attitude.”
On Iran, he said he trusted Trump’s judgment on when to end the war but did not want American troops sent in. He said Trump’s priority should be helping Republicans keep control of Congress in November because it would be “a long couple years” if the party lost the House of Representatives.
A RECAST CELEBRATION
The festival initially was set to feature a broad lineup of performers, including Poison frontman Bret Michaels, Young MC and the Commodores, but those acts and others withdrew amid concerns about joining a potentially partisan event.
The revised program instead included musical performances by Lee Greenwood and Christopher Macchio, two artists favored by Trump, and military bands.
Trump has taken a personal interest in the celebrations, installing statues and other features around Washington and ordering a $16 million repair of the reflecting pool. On Tuesday, he said six people had been arrested on suspicion of damaging the pool.
Trump also hosted mixed martial arts fights on the South Lawn of the White House last week, a spectacle that drew millions of television viewers but most Americans found distasteful.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington; Writing by Trevor Hunnicutt and Daniel Trotta; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Nia Williams)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.