Trump kicks off Fourth of July weekend with symbolic salute to America’s legacy

The president is also set to headline the Salute to America event on the National Mall Saturday amid an extreme heat alert

Ashley J. DiMella / Fox News  

President Donald Trump will open America’s 250th Independence Day weekend with a return to Mount Rushmore, reviving one of the most symbolic scenes of his first administration as the White House stages a week of patriotic events across some of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.

Trump last attended a Mount Rushmore fireworks display in 2020, when the landmark hosted its first official fireworks show since 2009. 

Trump issued a presidential action in January to honor the history of America, ordering "a grand celebration worthy of the momentous occasion of the 250th anniversary of American Independence on July 4, 2026." On both a federal and state level, the nation has thrown a line up of events this summer including the "Great American State Fair" on the National Mall.

Trump kicked off the fair on June 24 by hosting a rally the night before the beginning of the fair. He will return Saturday for the "Salute to America" event, where he is expected to take the stage.

Old flame! The Statue of Liberty is the greatest gift one country ever gave another 

Diane Von Furstenberg / Opinion / NEW YORK POST

Lady Liberty means so much to so many people.

For me, growing up in Europe, she was always a beautiful postcard. But my relationship with her changed drastically when I joined the board of the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation. I was initially very reluctant to join, but President Stephen Briganti seduced me to change my mind by highlighting a very personal passage from my memoir, “The Woman I Wanted to Be.”

My mother Lily had survived a war concentration camp, and I was born 18 months after she came home. In my book, I wrote about how she used to say, “God saved me so I can give you life. By giving you life, you gave me mine back. You are my torch of freedom.”

Steve reminded me of those poignant words from my mother — and made it seem like destiny. I had to accept. Saying yes meant that I would have to help raise $100 million for the island’s new 26,000-square-foot museum, a showcase for the original torch.

We actually accomplished that goal and the museum opened in 2019. In getting there, I embarked on a meaningful journey and learned the fascinating history behind America’s great symbol of freedom.

Just a Thought

                                                     Copyright @ 2026 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved. 

Top Democrats Are Still in Denial About the Rise of Socialism

Dmitri Bolt / Townhall Tipsheet 

Top Democrats are ignoring the rise of socialism in their party, and all it is going to do is accelerate the deadly ideology's rise into mainstream politics.

California Sen. Adam Schiff was asked point-blank on CNN whether the socialist wing of the Democratic Party is ascendant. Like other party leaders, he downplayed it, welcoming the ideology into the party's big tent while dismissing the several victories by Democratic socialists that just rocked New York City and, as of last night, Colorado.

"Well, I wouldn't say those comments are reflective of a growing brand in the party," Sen. Schiff said on CNN. "I understand that she's advocated closing all prisons, defunding police departments, opening borders. None of those views are within the mainstream of the Democratic Party."

"She will, at this point, having won the primary, probably be a member of Congress. That doesn't mean that she's reflective of the whole party. You also saw some very centrist wins in primaries. We had a centrist win in Iowa in the primary. We had a centrist win in the governor's races in New Jersey and Virginia. All that's to say it's hard to extrapolate from one campaign or even three in New York City and say this is a nationwide trend." 

Powerful Iranian clerics call for assassination of Trump, Netanyahu: ‘Send them to hell’

Chris Nesi / NEW YORK POST

Iran’s most senior clerics have called for the assassinations of President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, declaring the leaders mahdour al-dam — or deserving of death.

The 88-member Assembly of Experts issued a 10-point statement in which they said killing “the wicked prime minister of the Zionist regime” and “the criminal American president” was a religious duty that must be carried out “under any circumstances.”

The clerics — who are constitutionally tasked with choosing and supervising the supreme leader — wrote that the call for their assassinations that avenging the death of supreme leader Ali Khamenei was of “paramount” importance.

“It is obligatory upon any duty-bound person who gains access to these criminals to send them to hell,” they wrote.

Meanwhile, Iranian newspaper Hamshahri ran a front-page story featuring Trump’s face in the crosshairs of a rifle scope with a banner headline reading “Revenge is certain.”

Justice Jackson's Dissent in the Trans Athlete Case Is Absolutely Insane

Dmitri Bolt / Townhall Tipsheet 

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson proved once again why she is unqualified to sit on the Supreme Court.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled in Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J., which were consolidated into a single ruling. The Court found that state laws prohibiting men from competing in women’s sports do not violate Title IX or the Equal Protection Clause.

However, despite declining during her confirmation hearings to define what constitutes a woman, Justice Jackson took up the issue in her dissent, arguing that Title IX could be interpreted to include individuals whose gender identity differs from their biological sex.

"The majority is wrong to suggest that the term 'sex' in Title IX 'cannot plausibly be interpreted to refer to anything other than biological sex.' Ante, at 10," Justice Jackson wrote. "Title IX makes room for individuals to live in the gender they choose; it cares not just about sex assigned at birth but also about individuals’ ability to match (or not) their gender presentation to their gender identity." Read more, see Xs and ruling here.

Here's How President Trump Responded to SCOTUS' Birthright Citizenship Decision

Caneron Arcand / Townhall Tipsheet

 

President Donald Trump is calling on Congress to pass legislation to narrow the scope of birthright citizenship after an unfavorable Supreme Court ruling for the administration on Tuesday.

“The Supreme Court upheld Birthright Citizenship, which is too bad for our Country, but we can easily make it up in Congress through Legislation, with the support of the President, that has now been determined during this process,” he said in a Truth Social post.

“No long and unwieldy Constitutional Amendment is necessary! Congress should start TODAY to work on ending expensive and unfair to our Country, Birthright Citizenship. They will have my Complete and Total Support!” he added.

The court ruled that birthright citizenship will remain in place as it currently stands, with Chief Justice John Roberts writing in the majority opinion that “the Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to ‘every free-born person in this land.’”

The case centered on an Executive Order from the start of the president’s second term, which argued that “the Fourteenth Amendment...Read more, see 'TRUTH' and X here.