WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 President Donald Trump commemorated the 250th anniversary of America's independence on Saturday after storms prompted a roughly two-hour evacuation of the 好色tv Mall, with severe weather disrupting celebrations in several East Coast cities.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no way we can be deterred,鈥 he said to a crowd that returned after the evacuation was lifted.
Elsewhere, severe weather prompted the cancellation of celebrations in Hartford, Connecticut, along with Harrisburg and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Spectators at Boston鈥檚 fireworks and concert were told to briefly seek shelter before events later resumed. An evacuation was also ordered in Philadelphia. New York and Pittsburgh moved forward with fireworks but shifted the time to accommodate the shifting weather.
Anticipation for the milestone holiday has been building for much of the year, serving as an opportunity for Americans to reflect on their complicated history as onetime colonists of an empire who became a superpower of their own. Organizers of celebrations months in the making had to adjust or cancel activities entirely as much of the East Coast sweltered under heat that approached and in many cases surpassed triple digits.
Heat is defining the big weekend in many places
The disruption was particularly acute in Washington, where signs at the Great American State Fair posted an alert shortly after 7 p.m. ET encouraging participants to leave the area. Crowds gathered in museums, subway stations and federal buildings near the Mall. At the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center they waited in chairs and sat on the floor to cool off in the air conditioning.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to let some rain stop our 250th,鈥 Trump said in a social media post announcing his plans to still deliver a speech, which was expected to begin around 11 p.m.
Crowds were building in the area several hours before the evacuation. Tina Hale, 58, of Cohoes, New York, watched three of her grandchildren children dip their hands into a pool of water near a museum. Hale pointed toward the sky and urged them to look up as three military jets roared above the crowd.
鈥淚f that doesn鈥檛 make you proud to be an American,鈥 she said.
David Koshko, 42, and his wife, Jennifer Koskho, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, came to Washington for a baseball game but planned to stay for the city鈥檚 fireworks show. After baking in the heat for hours during the Pittsburgh Pirates鈥 win over the Washington 好色tvs, they took a break in the shade of an overpass near the 好色tv Mall to plot their next stop.
鈥淛ust to be a part of the 250 years (anniversary) is an amazing thing,鈥 said David Koshko, a commercial driver and veteran of the Marine Corps reserves.
In Philadelphia, fireworks began to crack as early as midday in the birthplace of the nation near the site where the Declaration of Independence was adopted by delegates to the Second Continental Congress. Hundreds of visitors were gathering at Independence Hall in the sweltering heat to await the celebrations coinciding with the France-Paraguay World Cup knockout game at Philadelphia Stadium, which began with commemorations of the holiday.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one big party in here,鈥 Carlos Alban, who traveled to Philadelphia from Chicago to watch the match, said as he arrived at the stadium, adding that he spotted a fan in the parking lot dressed as one of the Founding Fathers.
About 45 minutes before another match in Houston, a message from astronauts aboard the International Space Station noting the holiday was beamed into the stadium.
In New York, tall ships, with their masts, rigging and white sails outlined against a blue sky, made a procession around the Statue of Liberty and up the Hudson River, recalling the fanfare around America鈥檚 200th anniversary in 1976.
The 43 ships were followed by a display of aerial might with a stealth bomber and the Navy's Blue Angels. Patrouille de France, the French Air Force's acrobatic teams, flew over New York Harbor with their red, white and blue trails, evoking images of the American flag.
鈥淲e got up early and just rode our bikes about a mile down here to come see the scene,鈥 said Oona Moore, a Jersey City, New Jersey, resident who took in the New York festivities. 鈥淲e saw the tall ships and we saw the planes, you know, all different manner of military aircraft. I鈥檝e never seen it so close and in the sky at the same time.鈥
Later Saturday, a fire broke out on the Brooklyn Bridge during New York鈥檚 fireworks celebration, spreading flames on a section of the bridge and setting off a plume of smoke before being extinguished. Two engines responded to the blaze, the city鈥檚 fire department said, adding that such fires are not unexpected and officials keep crowds at a distance during the show for that reason.
At George Washington's Mount Vernon, people took the Oath of Allegiance to become U.S. citizens. They stood with eyes closed and hands over hearts for the national anthem.
In Phoenix, Steven Dortch, 25, and his brother JayLn Dortch, 23, gathered at Granada Park to try to forge a new July 4 cookout tradition. JayLn Dortch said young people in the U.S. give him hope by thinking for themselves and not taking the words from older people at face value.
He said the country needs to keep in mind the everyday, hardworking people who 鈥渒eep America going.鈥
An uneasy nation gets ready to celebrate
Trump spoke Saturday with world leaders including Russian President and Ukrainian President , who both congratulated the U.S. as they engage in a war. The president has also heard from Britain's and Israeli Prime Minister in recent days.
Inside the U.S., The celebrations are unfolding against the backdrop of a deep divide this election year that has been expanding for years, visible in everything from political expression to cultural norms to age-old questions over race, class and immigration.
At Mount Rushmore on Friday, Trump spoke of communism as a 鈥渕ortal threat to American liberty鈥 with the Republican president saying it was more dangerous than either World War or 9/11.
Without naming Trump, New York City Mayor , a Democrat who is also a democratic socialist and recently backed several successful congressional candidates in their primaries, appeared to reference Trump during a speech Friday.
鈥淭hose ideals upon which our nation was built 鈥 they are strong enough to endure any authoritarian regime, but only if we reach for them,鈥 he said.
Vice President JD Vance said small but loud voices would speak on America's birthday about its imperfections instead of its greatness.
"They will tell you that America is just another country, where the weak struggle against the strong,鈥 Vance said speaking aboard the USS Kearsarge in New York Harbor.
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Associated Press writers Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix, Emily Wang in New York, Luis Andres Henao in Philadelphia, Kristie Rieken in Houston, Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Va., Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, S.C., Safiyah Riddle in Los Angeles and Jesse Bedayn, Anna Johnson, Will Weissert and Michael Kunzelman contributed to this report.
