Published on •Updated
The US is celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence on Saturday against a backdrop of political polarisation and a brutal heatwave that’s sweeping across parts of the nation.
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US President Donald Trump is set to take a central role in the festivities and is scheduled to speak on the National Mall in Washington ahead of a large fireworks display.
As part of the buildup to the day, the president visited Mount Rushmore on Friday, where he delivered a speech warning of the threat of communism and calling on Americans to protect their freedoms.
“Communism is a mortal threat to American liberty,” Trump said during his speech. “It is the greatest threat to our country”.
“There has never been anything like us anywhere on earth. And we are not going to let anyone take that away,” he added.
Parade cancelled
It came as a brutal heatwave disrupted events around the country.
In Washington, the Great American State Fair was closed for several hours on Friday afternoon during the worst of the US’s hot spell.
The city’s Independence Day parade, scheduled for Saturday, has also been cancelled, with temperatures in the US capital expected to reach 46°C.
A series of devastating wildfires is also currently impacting the western United States, particularly in Colorado and Utah.
The fires have forced authorities to evacuate thousands of residents and have destroyed more than 160 structures.
The National Guard has been deployed to support security operations in the affected areas.
The weather has been decidedly better across the other side of the country. The Pacific Northwest, by contrast, enjoyed temperatures in the 60s Fahrenheit (around 15°C) on Friday, with a few light showers.
