SOUTH DAKOTA July 3, 2026 – President Donald Trump returned to Mount Rushmore on the evening of July 3 to deliver a powerful Independence Day message, honoring the nation’s founding principles and the four presidents carved into the granite monument as America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday.
Speaking beneath the illuminated faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt, Trump praised the leaders who “declared our freedom, won our freedom, saved our freedom, and secured our freedom.”
“Tonight, we come to this beautiful mountain—and it is beautiful—to express our gratitude to those who made it all possible—starting with the four men more responsible for reaching this milestone than any others,” Trump said.
He continued:
“We salute the Father of our Country, George Washington. The Author of our Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson. The Great Emancipator and savior of our Union, Abraham Lincoln. And the man who built America into a Global Superpower, Theodore Roosevelt.
These are the men who declared our freedom, won our freedom, saved our freedom, and secured our freedom.
They were men of action, men of ambition, men of daring, men of destiny, and men of truly great intelligence. Above all, they were the great men of history.
Tonight, on the threshold of our 250th Year, we stand beneath the monument to these heroes, and we rededicate ourselves to being a nation as big, bold, noble, and as great as these American Giants…
These men could only have been Made in the USA.”
The address came as part of nationwide “America 250” celebrations marking the semiquincentennial of U.S. independence. Events across the country included fireworks displays, parades, and patriotic gatherings, though extreme heat forced some adjustments, including delayed start times for festivities in Washington, D.C.
Trump’s remarks emphasized national unity, American exceptionalism, and a renewed commitment to the ideals of the nation’s founders. The event featured a large crowd, military presence, and dramatic lighting of the monument.
As the country marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, the speech at one of America’s most iconic landmarks served as a powerful reminder of the nation’s history and its ongoing journey.
Happy Independence Day to all celebrating! 🇺🇸
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