President Donald Trump on Wednesday inaugurated the United States’ 250th-anniversary celebrations with a campaign-style rally on the National Mall, transforming a civic commemoration into a partisan spectacle that underscored the deepening polarisation of American politics. Speaking from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Trump declared the country “superior to every nation ever founded,” while touting his signature policies—including a controversial Iran deal, mass deportations, and what he described as a booming economy—amid chants of “Make America Great Again” and a choreographed YMCA dance. The event, originally planned as a series of concerts, was hastily repurposed after musicians withdrew in protest, leaving a stage dominated by political imagery rather than patriotic pageantry.

The address drew immediate criticism for its overtly political tone, with critics accusing Trump of hijacking a national milestone to advance his re-election bid. France 24 noted that the festivities, intended to unify the country, instead highlighted the president’s polarising approach to governance and his ongoing efforts to reshape Washington . International observers also highlighted the irony of a celebration meant to honour America’s founding principles being co-opted by a leader whose approval ratings remain mired at around 40%, according to recent polling cited by Axios .

Trump’s remarks on Ukraine further fuelled controversy. In a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, he praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “courageous” and “doing pretty well” in the war against Russia, a stance that drew sharp reactions in Moscow. Russian state media reported “growing irritation” in the Kremlin, while Ukrainian outlets hailed the comments as a rare show of support from Washington . The remarks marked a notable shift from Trump’s previous scepticism toward Zelensky, reflecting the fluid dynamics of a conflict now in its 1,583rd day.

The event also laid bare the fractures within Trump’s own coalition. Former allies like Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene have publicly distanced themselves from the president over his handling of the Iran conflict, while progressive Democrats celebrated primary victories that signal a rising socialist movement within the party. Axios reported that 66% of Democrats under 30 now favour socialism over capitalism, the widest gap on record, and warned of a “Tea Party”-style insurgency reshaping the political landscape .

As the 16-day celebration begins, the juxtaposition of Trump’s self-celebratory rhetoric with the nation’s deepening divisions underscores a paradox at the heart of America’s 250th year: a country torn between nostalgia for its past and the uncertain future of its democracy.

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⚡ NEWSTrump hosts US 250th anniversary kickoff rally on National MallPresident Donald Trump opened the 16-day celebration of the United States 250th anniversary with a political rally on the National Mall. The event highlights controversy surrounding his polarizing governing approach and efforts to reshape Washington.📰 #Geopolitics #GeoWire

mastodon bot · about 3 hours ago

Trump praznovanja ob 250. obletnici neodvisnosti začel z govorom o lastnih dosežkih Ameriški predsednik Donald Trump je v sredo zvečer v Washingtonu uradno odprl praznovanja ob 250. obletnici ustanovitve ZDA. V nagovoru ob odprtju velikega državnega sejma na travniku National Mall je večinoma govoril o lastnih dosežkih.

rtv slovenia · about 3 hours ago

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observador · about 3 hours ago

Timor. Tolerância de ponto por cerimónias fúnebres de Lu Olo Percurso político do ex-Presidente está "profundamente ligado à luta pela independência"

observador · about 3 hours ago

Trump lance les festivités des 250 ans des États-Unis : "LAmérique est de retour" Donald Trump a lancé les festivités du 250e anniversaire des États-Unis avec un discours très politique. ...

la libre · about 3 hours ago

Los herederos de Leonard Cohen critican el uso sin permiso de Donald Trump del Hallelujah en un mitin Aunque emitieron un comunicado antes de que comenzara el acto alertando de que no habían autorizado el uso de la canción, esta ha formado parte del evento igualmenteQué pasa cuando conviertes los resultados electorales en arte Los herederos del fallecido compositor Leonard Cohen han emitido un comunicado condenando el uso de la icónica Hallelujah en el último mitin de Donald Trump, que tuvo lugar esta noche con motivo de las celebraciones de los 250 años de la independencia de EEUU. El comunicado, que se publicó antes del mitin, explicaba que los herederos tenían conocimiento de que se interpretaría el tema y que su uso no estaba autorizado. Los herederos no apoyan ni aprueban este ni ningún otro uso similar, publicaron en la cuenta de Instagram del compositor. Gracias por su atención a este asunto, concluyeron el comunicado, haciendo así un guiño a la forma en que Trump suele acabar sus mensajes en redes sociales. A pesar del comunicado de los herederos, la canción se ha cantado en el mitin de todos modos, acompañada por el sobrevuelo de un bombardero B-2. Hace casi tres semanas, Trump dejó claro que se cantaría Hallelujah en el evento, al mismo tiempo que anunció que habría invitados musicales de renombre como Lee Greenwood y Christopher Macchio. No es la primera vez que un artista se opone a que Trump utilice su música en un mitin o en un vídeo, aunque estas reacciones siempre suelen ocurrir después de que se haya utilizado la canción en concreto. Sin embargo, el comunicado de los herederos de Cohen llegó antes del evento, aunque eso no ha impedido que se utilizase de todas formas.

eldiario.es · about 3 hours ago

„Se descurcă bine. Trump, schimbare radicală de abordare față de liderul de la Kiev, Volodimir Zelenski Președintele SUA, Donald Trump, a evaluat pozitiv acțiunile liderului ucrainean Vladimir Zelenski în războiul cu Rusia. „Oricum ai privi lucrurile, se descurcă destul de bine. Cel puțin, rezistă. Mulți oameni își pierd viața de ambele părți, dar cred că se descurcă bine, a declarat Trump în cadrul unei conferințe de presă alături de secretarul general al NATO, Mark Rutte, răspunzând la întrebarea dacă Zelenski este în prezent pe cale să câștige.

digi24 · about 3 hours ago

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dagens nyheter · about 3 hours ago

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faz · about 3 hours ago

Trumps America cannot be trusted, damning international poll of 36 countries says The Pew Research Center thinktank surveyed tens of thousands of people and found growing concerns over Trumps second term foreign policy

independent · about 3 hours ago

Even before she took office, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni picked regular fights with French President Emmanuel Macron. Now, Donald Trump is helping them make peace.

bluesky bot · about 3 hours ago

President Trump kicked off celebrations for the 250th anniversary of American independence, headlining the opening of the Great American State Fair on the National Mall.

bluesky bot · about 3 hours ago

«Η Αμερική επέστρεψε, πριν λίγο καιρό ήμασταν μια νεκρή χώρα», δήλωσε ο Τραμπ στους εορτασμούς για τα 250 χρόνια ανεξαρτησίας των ΗΠΑ Πολιτική ομιλία του Αμερικανού προέδρου με συνθήματα MAGA και τον χαρακτηριστικό χορό του υπό τους ήχους του YMCA

protothema · about 3 hours ago

Trump apre le celebrazioni per i 250 anni degli Usa con un comizio in stile Maga: LAmerica è tornata Linizio con God bless the Usa e la chiusura con il balletto sulle note di YMCA e lo slogan Make America Great Again. Lesaltazione del trumpismo, le vittorie quotidiane e lo spauracchio comunismo. Più che un discorso da celebrazione ufficiale è stato un comizio elettorale, quello che ieri sera il presidente degli Stati Uniti Donald […] Larticolo Trump apre le celebrazioni per i 250 anni degli Usa con un comizio in stile Maga: LAmerica è tornata proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.

il fatto quotidiano · about 3 hours ago

Война. 1583-й день. «У Зеленского дела идут неплохо. Он мужественный человек», — говорит Трамп. В Москве это вызывает «растущее раздражение»

meduza · about 3 hours ago

Trump believes Zelensky does pretty well in war with Russia U.S. President Donald Trump is convinced that Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky, despite the difficult circumstances of the war, is "doing pretty well."

ukrinform · about 3 hours ago

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de volkskrant · about 3 hours ago

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corriere · about 3 hours ago

Behind the Curtain: Americas great political implosion American politics, reordered and reimagined by a decade of President Trumps rise, fall and resurrection, is imploding in substantial ways.MAGA is splintering between Trump enthusiasts and true "America First" believers.Socialism is rising in popularity and clout. Democratic leaders are flailing.Israel is bleeding support with both parties. Pro-Palestinian politicians are winning elections. AI is dividing both sides of the aisle, with strong pro-worker coalitions forming among Republicans and Democrats. And Trumps unpopularity seems set and locked around 60.Why it matters: Everything is up for grabs — and wildly uncertain. House and Senate control are coin tosses in the November midterms, the 2028 presidential races are wide open, and both parties are equally despised by the electorate.Zoom in: The populist forces Trump awakened are devouring the establishment, inflamed by a cross-partisan blend of endless war, soaring prices and elite impunity, as Axios Zachary Basu narrates.On the right, a historic schism over the meaning of "America First" has left Trumps broad 2024 coalition in tatters.Tucker Carlson and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — voices once synonymous with MAGA — both renounced the GOP this week, casting Trumps war with Iran as a betrayal of his own movement.The rupture is spreading through the outsider media universe that helped return Trump to power, with populist podcasters such as Theo Von, Tim Dillon and Candace Owens turning fiercely critical of the administration.On the left, establishment Democrats fear a socialist "Tea Party" has arrived — toppling incumbents, humiliating party leaders and turning safe blue seats into laboratories for a more confrontational politics.Three democratic socialists backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, suddenly a progressive kingmaker, appear headed for Congress after an earthquake in Tuesdays primaries.A Gallup poll last year found Democrats favor socialism over capitalism by 66 to 42 — the widest gap on record — with the divide sharpest among voters under 30, the engine of Mamdanis coalition.Zoom out: A generational collapse in support for Israel is remaking both parties — while surging antisemitism clouds the increasingly toxic debate.The numbers are brutal: Pew Research found 60 of Americans now view Israel unfavorably, including 80 of Democrats and 57 of Republicans under 50.For Democrats, Israels actions in Gaza bundle together everything young left-wing voters hate about the old party: war, money in politics, gerontocracy and deference to a foreign policy consensus they see as morally bankrupt.For Republicans, the fight over Israel is also a fight over the future — pitting an aging, pro-Israel establishment against a young base that views foreign intervention as the original sin "America First" was meant to cure.Between the lines: AI is emerging as the next great populist accelerant, fusing fears over lost jobs, soaring power bills and the unchecked power of billionaires.The backlash is scrambling party lines: Progressive labor activists, MAGA antitrust hawks and young voters increasingly see AI as a machine for enriching tech titans while making ordinary work more disposable.Harvards youth poll found 59 of Americans 18 to 29 see AI as a threat to their job prospects, including 66 of young Democrats and 59 of young Republicans.What to watch: Trump is deeply unpopular. But the tectonic shifts transforming the two parties — and the country — make 2026 and 2028 impossible to forecast.Control of the House is a toss-up: GOP redistricting established a narrow moat around their majority, but Democrats lead the generic ballot by 6 percentage points.The Senate map is as favorable as it gets for Republicans, but top election prognosticator Larry Sabato this month moved three races toward Democrats. A 50-50 split is a distinct possibility.The 2028 field, meanwhile, is wide open.The New York Times presidential primary tracker has four potential candidates — Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — clustered within 8 points of each other.Vice President Vance leads Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the GOP side. But Vance serves at the pleasure of a president who likes to keep people guessing. The bottom line: In a new Gallup poll timed to the nations 250th anniversary, more than three-quarters of Americans said the founders would be disappointed with how the country has turned out.Axios Zachary Basu and Mike Zapler contributed reporting. 📈 If youre a CEO or on a CEOs team: Ask to join Jims new weekly Axios C-Suite newsletter.Go deeper: "The Rattled Generation: A unified theory of this American moment."

axios · about 3 hours ago

Trump turns America 250 kickoff into a campaign-style rally on the National Mall President Donald Trump opened a 16-day celebration of the United States 250th anniversary with a political rally on Wednesday, the start of festivities shaped by controversy over his polarizing approach to governing and efforts to remake Washington. France 24s Kethevane Gorjestani takes a closer look.

france24 · about 3 hours ago

Macron hosts Meloni for Riviera talks after Italian leaders fallout with Trump French President Emmanuel Macron will aim to build on a nascent rapprochement with Italys Giorgia Meloni when they meet for a bilateral summit on the French Riviera on Thursday, just days after Melonis erstwhile ally Donald Trump mocked her for supposedly "begging" him for a photograph at a recent G7 meeting.

france24 · about 3 hours ago

Trump says courageous Zelenskyy is doing pretty well in war with Russia "You have to say hes courageous, hes got great equipment, hes got great men, hes got fighters," Trump said of Zelenskyy.

euronews · about 3 hours ago

Trump kicks off Americas 250th anniversary celebrations with a tribute to himself at a campaign-style rally The event at the National Mall replaced a series of concerts that were cancelled after participating musicians pulled out

elpais · about 3 hours ago

Both Donald Trump and Giorgia Meloni are begging for trouble The dalliance between the populist-right leaders of America and Italy is off—or is it?

the economist · about 3 hours ago

Dont fall for fake image of Donald and Ivanka Trump with Epstein A real 1991 photo of Trump with his then-nine-year-old daughter was altered to include now-deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

snopes · about 3 hours ago