President Donald Trump has kicked off weeks of festivities celebrating America’s 250th birthday with a rally on the National Mall in the nation’s capital.
The event featured a flyover by “some of the nation’s most iconic fighter jets and stealth bombers”, military bands, and a speech from the president.
“Tonight, as we stand on the edge of our 250th year of independence, I am thrilled to declare that America is back,” Trump said at the rally.
Trump announced his plans to headline the event after several musicians cancelled their performances citing concerns the celebrations had been politicised.
“A short time ago we were a dead country,” the president said at the rally. “We were dead. Now we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world, we’re respected by everybody.”
Trump touted his record on immigration, drug prices, the economy and on foreign affairs, including in Iran and Venezuela.
“For the first time in 3,000 years, we are finally going to have peace in the Middle East,” he told the crowd.
A range of events have been planned to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, including the rally on Wednesday tied to “The Great American State Fair” on the National Mall in Washington DC.
Organisers say these festivities are to commemorate the anniversary, but certain events, including those funded by a body that supports Trump, are leading to questions around whether the celebrations could become politicised.
America250, one of the groups planning celebrations, was established by Congress a decade ago to plan nonpartisan events. Freedom 250, another organisation also planning events, was created by Trump and is a public-private partnership.
Congress has reportedly allocated $150m (£112m) in federal funds for the birthday celebration. Millions of dollars more are apparently being spent by Freedom 250.
Both America250 and Freedom 250 are expected to host large events as part of the celebration – here is what you need to know.
The president said he will speak at “the greatest show of all” on the National Mall on the Fourth of July.
