U.S. President Donald Trump stated on July 5 (local time) that the event commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence was canceled due to a storm, but was able to resume following his decision.

Through his social media platform Truth Social, President Trump said that as of 7:05 p.m. on July 4, the day of Independence Day, a crowd of 424,000 people had gathered around the National Mall in Washington, D.C., but the event was canceled due to severe weather, forcing people to evacuate.

He continued, "When I heard the event was canceled, I immediately overturned the decision and waited a while to give people time to return." He added, "Incredibly, at least 150,000 people came back, and thanks to that, the event was even more spectacular than if it had proceeded as originally scheduled."

President Trump commended the response of the Secret Service (SS) and law enforcement agencies for assisting with the evacuation and the rapid re-entry of the attendees.

He also added, "A downpour began right after the great fireworks display ended, making this amazing night conclude even more dramatically."

The 250th-anniversary event held in Washington, D.C. on July 4 was temporarily suspended amid a heatwave with temperatures nearing 40°C (104°F) and forecasts of thunderstorms.

When the evacuation order was issued, attendees who had gathered at outdoor venues took shelter in nearby buildings, returning to the venue only after organizers announced the resumption of the event past 9:00 p.m.

President Trump's speech began at approximately 11:15 p.m., about an hour and 30 minutes later than scheduled, and the fireworks display, which aimed to set a record for the world's largest, began around midnight immediately after his speech concluded.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)