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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump, speaking at the Lincoln Memorial during a special Fourth of July “Salute to America” event, says “our nation is stronger than it ever was before.”
He says that “for Americans, nothing is impossible.” He is reciting a litany of American accomplishments over its history, including the moon landing 50 years ago. And he is promising, “Very soon, we will plant the American flag on Mars.”
Trump is also paying tribute to U.S. service members.
Supporters have praised Trump’s celebration of U.S. military clout, while protesters have assailed him for putting himself center stage on a holiday devoted to unity.
Trump says the “future of American Freedom” lies with the men and women who are willing to defend it, as it did when America was founded.
That’s according to the speech Trump plans to deliver Thursday at the Lincoln Memorial during a special “Salute to America” event. The White House released excerpts from the speech about an hour before the president was set to speak.
Trump says “there will be nothing that America cannot do” as long as Americans remember the nation’s history and “never stop fighting for a better future.”
Trump has ordered the Pentagon to stage military demonstrations, including a flyover of jets, helicopters and other aircraft, for the event that critics are calling a waste of taxpayer dollars and a needless glorification of Trump.