NPR News: 07-04-2026 5AM EDT

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Windsor Johnston· Host0:15

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston.

Donald Trump· Soundbite0:21

[upbeat music] Yoo-hoo.

Windsor Johnston· Host0:23

President Trump kicked off the nation's 250th birthday celebration with a speech beneath Mount Rushmore in South Dakota last night.

Donald Trump· Soundbite0:32

We stand beneath the monument of these heroes, a true group of unbelievable people, and we rededicate ourselves to being a nation as big, bold, noble, and as great as these American giants.

Windsor Johnston· Host0:47

The celebration moves to Washington, D.C. today, where crowds are expected on the National Mall for concerts, military flyovers, and the annual Fourth of July fireworks. The president is scheduled to address the crowd as part of the administration's Freedom 250 celebration, which includes the Great American State Fair on the National Mall. NPR's Frank Langfitt reports the event is getting mixed reviews.

Frank Langfitt1:11

[upbeat music] Many at the fair are Trump supporters and like the event. Joni Lieberman, that flew in from California, enjoyed the exhibits from different states.

Joni Lieberman· Soundbite1:20

It's a privilege to live in this country, and then to be able to celebrate it in such a great way, I just, I wanted to be in the middle of it.

Frank Langfitt1:28

Others see the fair as an extension of