WASHINGTON — President Trump is using America’s 250th birthday celebrations as an opportunity to put himself front and center, hosting a large-scale rally Wednesday on the National Mall in the nation’s capital.
The event was announced to include a military flyover featuring stealth bombers, performances by military bands, country singer Lee Greenwood — known for “God Bless the USA” — and a speech by the president himself.
The rally arrives at a politically significant moment, as Trump works to reassure Americans ahead of November midterm elections that the unpopular Iran war is winding down. Oil prices have begun to ease as the Strait of Hormuz has started to reopen following an interim agreement to end hostilities with Tehran.
Wednesday’s event is intended to kick off weeks of festivities celebrating America’s founding in 1776, as part of “The Great American State Fair” — a series of events planned along the National Mall, the stretch of national parkland running from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial.
Trump’s decision to take the stage himself came only after a string of musicians — including Young MC, Martina McBride, and the Commodores — withdrew from the event, citing concerns that it had become too politically charged. The president stepped in to fill the gap, promoting his own ability to draw a crowd.
“I am thinking about bringing the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World, the man who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime, and he does so without a guitar, the man who loves our Country more than anyone else, and the man who some say is the Greatest President in History,” Trump wrote on social media, referring to himself.
In a video posted Monday evening, Trump described the event as “the biggest rally we’ve ever had” and added: “It’s our music, our playlist. We don’t have a lot of people boring you with songs you don’t want to hear. We have the hottest people.”
On Tuesday afternoon, country singer Alexis Wilkins — the longtime girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel — announced on social media that she would be performing at the event.
The rally comes as Trump’s presidency has faced considerable public skepticism. His approval rating currently sits at just 37%, according to the most recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research polling. Only 33% of U.S. adults approve of his handling of the economy, while his favorability stands at 40% on immigration and 34% on Iran.
Democrats have criticized Trump’s handling of renovations to the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, pointing to a resulting algae outbreak as evidence that the president is directing taxpayer funds toward personal vanity projects rather than preserving national landmarks.
Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., raised additional concerns at a congressional hearing earlier this year, presenting documents he said showed the Trump-affiliated group organizing the 250th anniversary celebration was selling access to special interests and reshaping the story of America’s founding to suit the president’s preferences.
“It should be about bringing us together,” Huffman said. “He’s trying to make this 250th celebration all about him.”
Economists note that inflation remains higher than the level Trump inherited when he took office and continues to outpace wage growth. The federal budget deficit is still climbing, keeping interest rates elevated. While investment in artificial intelligence is driving some economic growth, it has also sparked fears of job losses among middle-class workers, and the construction of data centers required for the tech economy has become a point of political controversy.
Daniel Treisman, a politics professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, offered an explanation for the president’s low numbers. “It’s clear that Trump’s preoccupations in his second term — from Iran to the Washington reflecting pool — are not those of most members of his base, let alone other Americans,” Treisman said. “That explains his unusually low approval ratings.”
Research conducted by James Snyder, a professor at Harvard University, has shown that Trump rallies have historically helped drive short-term voter turnout among his supporters. However, Snyder noted that Wednesday’s event comes more than four months before the November midterms, making any direct political benefit for Republicans unlikely.
“I would not expect that the rally would have any clear effect on the 2026 midterm elections,” Snyder said.
