President Donald Trump marked the 250th anniversary of the US by declaring that the country is “stronger than ever,” as celebrations unfolded amid heightened political tensions in Washington.
Trump’s Fourth of July festivities were repeatedly disrupted by severe weather, including record-breaking heat and sudden thunderstorms that forced evacuations.
The president’s campaign-style address mixed patriotic themes with warnings about domestic and foreign threats.
The celebrations were framed by competing narratives of national identity, as “both white supremacists and liberal activists marched through the city, each demanding their country back,” The Washington Post wrote.