America marks 250 years of independence with huge celebrations - as Trump declares US 'most successful nation ever'
Donald Trump described the upcoming anniversary as "one of the most extraordinary days in the history of the world" and said that the Declaration of Independence marked "the greatest political journey in human history".
The US has marked the 250th anniversary of independence with celebrations across the country, led by Donald Trump in Washington, DC, amid political division and heightened security.
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President Donald Trump delivered a rousing speech at Mount Rushmore to celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary.
Trump marked the occasion at the iconic monument, where former Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln are carved directly into the hillside.
The US President declared that former presidents "could only be made in the USA" and explained that he had chosen to gather at the legendary location to share appreciation for the leaders who made the US the "most successful nation ever".
President Trump previously claimed that his face should be added to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, even going as far as sharing AI-generated images of his face etched into the rocky hillside.
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Hundreds of thousands of Americans have flocked to the US capital to enjoy a weekend of barbecues, military displays, concerts and what is rumoured to be one of the most impressive Independence Day fireworks shows in the country's history.
Celebrations of the country’s independence day are taking place across the country, including in New York, which hosted an international parade of tall ships and naval vessels.
Independence Day marks 250 years since the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, when the 13 American colonies officially declared themselves independent from Britain.
🚨 JD VANCE JUST NOW: "REJECT the view of your nation that sees only its sins, but not its grace and its greatness."
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 4, 2026
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"Everything that we have done, everything that we have done as a country, we have done together. Not as citizens divided against each other, but as a common… pic.twitter.com/VgMjg8j40w
Vice President JD Vance said that those who focused only on the nation's failings "are wrong". He defended the country’s legacy at New York's Sail4th 250, urging Americans to "reject the view of people who see only its sins but none of its greatness".
Celebrations unfolded against a backdrop of political division – and it was not without reminders.
On Saturday, around 400 masked men, including members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front, marched through Washington.
Donald Trump described the upcoming anniversary as "one of the most extraordinary days in the history of the world" and said that the Declaration of Independence marked "the greatest political journey in human history".
Former presidents made contrasting Independence Day statements, with warnings from Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden for Americans to defend democratic values.
America is a constant work in progress. Every generation must take up the unfinished work of the last and carry it further—protecting what’s right, fixing what’s wrong, and making our union a little more perfect. 250 years later, that’s more important than ever. pic.twitter.com/Gr7vcfpKoH
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 4, 2026
Today marks exactly 250 years since the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress, formally establishing that the American colonies were no longer subject to British rule.
King Charles III has praised the US for what he called a "truly historic milestone", praising the "extraordinary evolution" of the relationship between the UK and US since the War of Independence.