President Trump delivered a pointed Independence Day address at Mount Rushmore on Friday, framing the 250th anniversary as a battle against a rising communist threat. Speaking to a crowd in Keystone, South Dakota, Trump declared that such ideologies must be given no quarter, a clear swipe at a handful of Democratic socialist and progressive candidates who have recently won primaries.
“As we approach this magnificent anniversary, we see our American identity under a renewed attack,” Trump said. He warned of a “resurgence of the communist menace in our land, including from newcomers to our country who embrace ideas totally opposed to our way of life and our great success.” The president labeled communism “the enemy of free people everywhere, the enemy of the Constitution, and above all, the enemy of July 4, 1776.”
The speech comes as at least four Democrats identifying as socialists or progressives have secured primary victories, fueling GOP efforts to paint the broader party as far-left. Trump and Republicans are zeroing in on these candidates as evidence of a radical shift. In a related development, Trump has repeatedly branded Democrats as communists, a strategy aimed at rallying his base ahead of the midterms.
Trump used the platform to push for abolishing the Senate filibuster to pass his SAVE America Act, an election bill. “We can only lose the midterms if we allow ourselves to lose the midterms, if we are foolish, stupid, and unwise,” he said. “But if we terminate the filibuster as we should do, and immediately vote for the Save America Act, then we will not lose an election for 100 years.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), who attended the event, has opposed eliminating the filibuster, and GOP leaders say there are insufficient votes for the measure.
The president also attacked Democrats as “The Communist Party,” alleging it is made up of illegal immigrants, criminals, and those who do not want to work. “Communism is a loser,” he declared.
Despite the sharp rhetoric, Trump largely stuck to the teleprompter, delivering flat, uplifting platitudes. The White House had billed the speech as both inspirational and a “fierce rebuke” of communism. “The identity of a nation is the destiny of a nation, and America has a destiny like no other, because we are a people like no other,” Trump said, adding with a laugh, “For whatever reason, that’s just the way it is here.”
The president paid tribute to the four presidents carved into the mountain: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. “These are the men who declared freedom, won our freedom, saved our freedom and secured our freedom,” he said. “They were men of action, men of ambition, men of daring, men of destiny, and men of truly great intelligence.”
South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden introduced Trump, thanking him for reviving the Mount Rushmore event, which last featured the president in 2020. “Here we recognize that our rights, liberties and freedoms are not given to us by government, but by God,” Rhoden said, drawing cheers of “USA, USA, USA.” The governor added, “America isn’t perfect… but America has overcome challenges for 250 years and turned them into opportunities.”
Trump’s 30-minute address was a prelude to a larger July 4 event in Washington, D.C., where he promised a marathon speech despite a record-breaking heat wave. Critics have warned that holding large rallies in extreme heat could endanger attendees. Some have slammed the decision as reckless.
Among those attending in South Dakota were Sen. Mike Rounds, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and several family members and aides, including Donald Trump Jr., Tiffany Trump, chief of staff Susie Wiles, and press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
