President Donald Trump addressed a rally on the National Mall in Washington on Wednesday, kicking off America’s 250th anniversary celebration. As the country marks this major milestone, critics are complaining instead about Trump’s decisions in spending taxpayer money to improve America’s most visited national park for the event.
The show last night included a series of flyovers by stealth bombers, music from military bands, and Lee Greenwood singing “God Bless the USA.” It shaped up to be a patriotic concert with attendees wearing American flag-themed outfits and “Make America Great Again” hats.
“There has never been anything like the United States of America, and together we are making it bigger and better and stronger and far more exceptional than ever before,” Trump said. “Nobody’s laughing at us anymore.”
“The American Dream is alive again. It’s something that nobody thought they’d be saying when you went through that last four years of incompetence,” Trump said.
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Trump fans showed up to celebrate America and the president they voted for. Jacob Wankasky and his family traveled from Buffalo, NY. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” Wankasky said, explaining he sees Trump’s return to the White House as a relief in a time of “insanity.”
But several musicians – including Young MC, Martina McBride, and the Commodores – canceled their concerts for the anniversary event because of concerns it had become politicized.
Weeks of celebrations about the founding of America are about to unfold. A giant Ferris wheel has been erected in front of the Capitol as part of “The Great American State Fair” as America marks 250 years since its founding in 1776.
Trump’s critics are criticizing the president and his efforts to spruce up the National Mall, specifically the Reflecting Pool. Democrats say he botched the repairs and a resulting algae outbreak is a sign that he’s wasting taxpayer money on vanity projects instead of the nation’s legacy.
PHOTO: A member of the National Park Service removes algae from the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) said, “It should be about bringing us together,” Huffman said. “He’s trying to make this 250th celebration all about him.”
Congressional Democrats are calling for investigations of the Reflecting Pool renovations, as drama has unfolded over the $16 million rehabilitation project. Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the top Democrat on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, is accusing the Trump administration of “blatant corruption.”
PHOTO: A protester with an upside-down U.S. flag is seen near the Reflecting Pool, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
The White House has blamed unidentified vandals for peeling paint and causing algae growth, pointing to a “350-foot gash” in the liner. Trump said Wednesday that “sick people” had used razors and box cutters to slice portions of the lining.
The U.S. Park Police posted surveillance footage on Wednesday evening and asked for help “identifying the individual depicted here in connection with a Destruction of Government Property investigation.”
Trump said six people have been arrested, but provided no further details. He also said the pool may need to be drained again for additional repairs.
A White House spokeswoman said it’s “a shame that Democrats do not think the capital of the greatest nation in the history of the world deserves to be safe and beautiful.” Spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool “has long been plagued with algae and leaked 16 million gallons of water per year,” and this was an effort to fix that problem.
PHOTO: The Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool are seen from the Washington Monument, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
Green Water Solutions, which is taking care of the anti-algae aspect of the renovation, said its ozonation remediation process has been successful in killing algae. “The water is clear. What is visible is the sediment on the pool floor, a natural part of the remediation process when the algae dies,” spokeswoman Erin Kramer said. In a lake or river, that sediment is absorbed, but in a pool it needs to be vacuumed, she said.
She said the water returned to looking clear and blue on Wednesday, after rain had muddled it on Tuesday.
