Donald Trump starred on Friday night in the eve of the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States with an extensive speech at the monument of Mount Rushmore, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, where he proclaimed the nation's exceptional greatness and launched an aggressive rhetorical offensive against communism, which he described as the greatest threat the country has faced in its entire history.
The event, organized by the public-private alliance Freedom 250 affiliated with the White House, was preceded by a flyover of F-35 fighter jets from the South Dakota Air National Guard.
The event was attended by the Senate Majority Leader, John Thune; the Governor of South Dakota, Larry Rhoden; the Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum; and the Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis.
"The most exceptional nation that has ever existed."
Trump opened his speech with a declaration of unqualified exceptionalism before the sculpted faces of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt.
“At 250 years old, the United States is the oldest republic on Earth. We are the freest people on Earth. We have the fairest and most enduring constitution on Earth. We are the strongest and most powerful country on Earth. And by the grace of God, the United States of America is the most successful, accomplished, and exceptional nation that has ever existed in the history of humanity,” he proclaimed.
The president paid tribute to the four presidents immortalized in stone and stated that "the birth and survival of the American nation under God's guidance is simply the best and most incredible thing that has ever happened on this planet by human hands. Never, never, never."
Trump also listed the material and cultural achievements of the country: railroads, skyscrapers, the light bulb, the airplane, the internet, the microchip, the landing on the moon, and even air conditioning.
"Our mistakes make us human. Our achievements make us American," he summarized.
Communism, "a greater threat than Pearl Harbor or 9/11"
The most controversial passage was the anti-communist tirade, which Trump positioned as the central ideological theme of the speech.
"Communism is a deadly threat to American freedom. It is the greatest threat to our country, even more than World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, or 9/11. We will not allow this to happen to us," he stated amidst applause.
Trump asserted that communism "killed 100 million people in just the last century" and defined it unequivocally: "It is death, tyranny, and the pursuit of evil."
The rhetoric escalated to a direct warning: “You can be loyal to Karl Marx or you can be loyal to the United States. You can be a communist or you can be a patriot. You cannot be both.”
The president promised to "send into exile" those who promote that ideology and linked communism with irregular immigration.
"The Communist Party is made up of illegal immigrants, criminals, and all those who do not want to work," he asserted.
This rhetoric is consistent with previous positions: in November 2025, Trump proclaimed Anticommunist Week in the United States and in June 2026 he labeled communism as the greatest threat since World War II.
Economic achievements, military advancements, and legislative proposals
Trump interspersed a list of victories from his administration, citing $19.2 trillion in investments that came to the United States in the last 12 months, compared to less than $1 trillion that he attributed to the previous administration over four years.
"We defeated Venezuela in a day and gave Iran a beating. They are desperate to reach an agreement. We gave them a week off for a funeral because we are nice," he stated, referring to the capture of Nicolás Maduro in January 2026 and the Epic Fury Operation against Iran.
He also took the opportunity to call for the elimination of filibustering and the approval of the Law to Save America
"If we eliminate the filibuster as we should and immediately vote for the Law to Save America, then we won't lose an election in 100 years."
Trump concluded with a call for unity under his vision of national identity: "After two and a half centuries, we know this is not an end. This is just the beginning of America's Golden Age. And together, we will make America greater, better, and stronger than ever. I promise you that."
The speech took place in a context of profound political fracture.
According to a Gallup survey published around the anniversary, eight out of ten Americans believe that the Founding Fathers would not be proud of the country, and 59% think that the nation's best years are behind it.
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