President Trump is breaking the political establishment’s long-held monopoly on Fourth of July celebrations, and the media’s leading Trump-haters are up in arms about it.
Every year, Congress hosts an Independence Day concert on the West Lawn of the Capitol. Thousands are packed in to celebrate while an accompanying Washington, D.C. tradition takes place above them. By the time the concert starts and we average Americans start enjoying the celebrations with our friends and families, the swanky cocktail parties of the establishment class will already be in full swing on the rooftops of the embassies and office buildings that ring Capitol Hill.
Lobbyists, SuperPACS, law firms, and special interest groups rent these spots out every year to wheel and deal while the rest of the country celebrates. Jostling for tickets to these elite VIP shindigs is a big part of the Washington, D.C. social scene for political insiders.
While the Washington elites break out the shrimp and chardonnay on their private rooftops, however, there’ll be a much better party at the other end of the National Mall, by the Lincoln Memorial.
This year, you see, Donald Trump is democratizing Independence Day in D.C.
The day will start with a huge parade along Constitution Avenue featuring “marching bands, fife and drum corps, floats, military units, giant balloons, equestrian, and drill teams” to honor America’s armed forces and keep the spirit of the American Revolution alive. Later, the President of the United States will host a “Salute to America,” complete with a jet flyover by the Blue Angels, that will end at 7:30 p.m., leaving plenty of time to go over and get seats for the concert at the Capitol, which starts at 8:00 p.m.
America’s military deserves this sort of enthusiastic salute to service, and the American people deserve a big, mall-wide extravaganza in their Capital on the nation’s most important holiday.
You might think that everyone would be on board, but predictably, the Trump-hating media are shocked and outraged. In The New York Times, Michelle Cottle complained that Trump is “hijacking” the holiday. The Washington Post thinks Trump is “taking over.” Professional Never-Trumper and Iraq War cheerleader Bill Kristol is particularly upset, accusing the President of “hijacking” the Fourth of July festivities and comparing Trump to Richard Nixon.
Of course, they couldn’t possibly understand how much the American people appreciate President Trump’s respect for our Armed Forces. This will not be, as his critics have suggested, a political speech to support his 2020 reelection campaign. This will be a speech from our duly-elected Command-in-Chief saluting our military like never before.
No one is “hijacking” or “taking over” anything. Everyone will still be able to enjoy the biggest D.C. fireworks show in Washington, D.C. history while celebrating our nation’s founding. The only people who are upset are those who harbor an irrational hatred for President Trump, America, or both.
This is exactly how an American president should celebrate Independence Day — by expressing pride in this country and its values. The President’s haters can go hang out with the protesters flying their little “baby Trump” balloon if they don’t feel like joining the rest of us in celebrating the birth of America.
The reality is that Donald Trump is Making Independence Day Great Again by restoring the pomp, pride, and pageantry that this great national holiday deserves. It’s about time we had a Commander-in-Chief who truly respects and honors the patriots who wear our country’s uniform on our nation’s most patriotic day.
Hundreds of thousands of patriotic Americans will descend upon the National Mall on Thursday to listen to their Commander-in-Chief salute the troops and watch an incredible display of American might.
Those who watch the President deliver this historic speech will also have time to go enjoy the show on Capitol Hill at 8:00 p.m., and the establishment elites won’t be deterred from hosting their wine and cheese parties to view the greatest fireworks show in history, courtesy of President Trump. The only difference is that this year, they won’t be the only ones with a pristine view of the fireworks, because President Trump has opened up large portions of the National Mall for public viewing.
Once again, the people’s President has broken with convention and disrupted long-held traditions of the establishment. These elitist customs won’t end, but they will be enhanced by a great American tribute to our military and the Stars and Stripes, led by a proud Commander-in-Chief.
Rogan O’Handley (@DC_Draino) is a former entertainment lawyer who now posts conservative political commentary and news online. He earned two bachelor degrees, magna cum laude, in political science and criminal justice from Northeastern University. He earned his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School.