Trump Denounces Communism, Touts Military Might in Independence Day Speech

President Donald Trump praised the US military’s strength and explicitly denounced communism during a speech to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence on Saturday evening. Speaking at the ‘Salute to America’ celebration, Trump described the US as the ‘home of freedom’ and the ‘land of liberty’. He repeatedly stated that communism is incompatible with American values. ‘We don’t want communists in our country. It has never worked, and it will never work,’ he said, adding that the communist system is fundamentally opposed to American freedoms and constitutional rights. Likening communism to a ‘cancer’, Trump insisted that the ideology, which seeks to abolish private property and social classes, ‘must be stopped’. ‘The American people must never forget that we are a storied and heroic nation with a heroic spirit and a heroic purpose on our beautiful land,’ Trump said. ‘Unlike many other nations in the world, in this country we have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, equal justice under the law… and the right to keep and bear arms,’ he stated. Trump also highlighted gun ownership rights in the US, saying he has strongly defended the Second Amendment during his tenure. Although he did not name any specific political figures as communists, his remarks appeared to reference some progressive Democratic candidates who won primary elections ahead of the November midterm elections. Trump also pointed to what he described as a major turnaround in military recruitment. ‘It’s hard to get into our military now. Two years ago, you couldn’t get a job, and now jobs are plentiful,’ he said. He cited recent US actions abroad, particularly against Iran and Venezuela, as examples of renewed American strength. ‘You look at Venezuela, you look at Iran, we wiped them out, wiped out their military,’ he said. Trump then highlighted the construction of the Panama Canal as a symbol of American achievement and sacrifice, calling it ‘one of the greatest engineering feats of all time’ and noting that 38,000 Americans died during its construction. Throughout his speech, Trump linked patriotism, military power, and economic resurgence, declaring that the ‘American dream is back, stronger and more beautiful than ever before’. ‘Today our country is winning again, and we are winning like never before,’ he said. The speech was followed by a large fireworks display and concert. The event was delayed by more than an hour due to bad weather that disrupted earlier festivities in Washington. Several daytime events were postponed because of high temperatures, while strong winds and rain forced many attendees to seek shelter before the ceremony.