250th Anniversary Marred by Heatwave and Storms; Trump Delivers 'Anti-Communist' Speech

[Anchor]

The 250th anniversary celebration of the United States was barely held as it was hit by both a heatwave and strong gusts of wind. Both the event itself and the message delivered by President Trump were quite different from previous Independence Day celebrations.

Washington correspondent Jeon Byeong-nam reports from the scene.

[Reporter]

Endless crowds of people.

These are people waiting to attend the 250th anniversary celebration held at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Despite the heat approaching 40°C (104°F) and waiting for over three hours, the crowd cheers as the celebratory flight of the new Air Force One begins.

However, the festive atmosphere was short-lived, as an announcement was suddenly made to close the National Mall event venue.

[U.S. Secret Service Official: When I finish speaking, the venue will be closed. Severe weather and storms are approaching.]

National Guard troops in uniform and police began ushering people out of the venue.

Concerns had already been high over the murderous heatwave causing heatstroke, and with the addition of a storm forecast, some events were ultimately canceled.

As the parade was canceled, many who visited the National Mall had to turn back.

[Sonia/California, U.S.: I have been waiting since 3:30 p.m. The organizers are sending us out because of the risk of thunder and lightning.]

President Trump also waited for the severe weather to pass before taking the podium after 11:00 p.m.

The message he emphasized was anti-communism.

[Donald Trump/U.S. President: We do not want communists in the United States. We want to stop such threats immediately, and before they even begin. It is like cancer.]

With four months left until the midterm elections, he has begun a full-scale offensive targeting democratic socialism, the rising hard-left faction within the Democratic Party.

The Associated Press assessed that "unlike Independence Day speeches, which past presidents have used as an opportunity for national unity, Trump's speech was unusually political."

As soon as Trump's speech ended, 850,000 fireworks were launched into the sky, creating a spectacular scene.

However, some states with strong Democratic support, such as Massachusetts and Illinois, did not participate in the federal government-hosted event at all, marking a day that highlighted the divisions in the United States.

(Video coverage: Oh Jung-sik, Video editing: Kim Byung-jik)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.