Trump vows to ‘safeguard values’ from enemies within
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ON a day meant for unity and celebration in the US, President Donald Trump vowed to “safeguard our values” from enemies within — leftists, looters, agitators — in a Fourth of July speech packed with all the grievances and combativeness of his political rallies.
Trump watched paratroopers float to the ground in a tribute to America, greeted his audience of front-line medical workers and others central in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, and opened up on those who “slander” him and disrespect the country’s past.
“We are now in the process of defeating the radical left, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters, and the people who, in many instances, have absolutely no clue what they are doing,” he said.
“We will never allow an angry mob to tear down our statues, erase our history, indoctrinate our children. And we will defend, protect and preserve (the) American way of life, which began in 1492 when Columbus discovered America.”
Trump did not dwell on the pandemic in his remarks on Saturday evening. Instead, he declared that “our country is in great shape.”
The United States has the most infections and virus-related deaths in the world, with 2.8 million cases and nearly 130,000 dead, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Trump claimed without evidence that 99 percent of coronavirus cases in the United States were “totally harmless.” In fact, many states marked a record number of new COVID-19 cases.
The administration held a fireworks display over the National Mall as night fell after Trump’s speech, despite Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser’s warnings that the mass spectator event would defy health officials’ guidance during the pandemic. An estimated 80 percent of firework displays have been canceled this year.
Just steps from where Trump spoke, peaceful protesters marched down blocked-off streets around the White House, Black Lives Matter Plaza and the Lincoln Memorial. They were confronted by counter-protesters chanting, “USA! USA!” but there were no reports of violence.
Even as officials across the country pleaded with Americans to curb their enthusiasm for large Fourth of July crowds, Trump enticed the masses with a “special evening” of tribute and fireworks staged.
But the crowds wandering the National Mall for the night’s air show and fireworks were strikingly thinner than the gathering for last year’s jammed celebration.
Many who showed up wore masks, unlike those seated close together for Trump’s South Lawn event, and distancing was easy to do for those scattered across the sprawling space.
Some said they were compelled to come at a moment when the US is both grappling with the virus and undergoing a historic reckoning on racism.
“It’s time for us to stop bragging that we are super special, that the world should follow, we need to look inside to see what’s wrong with us. We never honestly asked ourselves about race in this country,” 54-year-old Mary Byrne said.
Johns Hopkins yesterday counted 45,300 new coronavirus infections reported on Saturday in the US after three days in which the daily count reached as high as 54,500 new cases, but experts fear celebrations for the July 4 weekend will act like rocket fuel for the nation’s surging coronavirus outbreak.
In many parts of the country, authorities discouraged mass gatherings for the holiday after days that have seen COVID-19 cases grow at a rate not experienced even during the deadliest phase of the pandemic in the spring.
In Philadelphia, mask- and glove-wearing descendants of the signers of the Declaration of Independence participated in a virtual tapping of the famed Liberty Bell on Independence Mall and people were asked to join from afar by clinking glasses, tapping pots or ringing bells.
Texas, which reported a record daily increase of 8,258 coronavirus cases on Saturday, is retreating from what had been one of the country’s swiftest reopenings. Much of the state began mandating face coverings on Friday, with a US$250 fine for scofflaws.
In Florida, which reported 11,445 confirmed infections on Saturday, bars statewide are shut down and some attractions are closed.
Popular beaches on both coasts, normally packed on the Independence Day, were closed as California and Florida suffer alarming surges in COVID-19 infections. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti warned citizens to “assume everyone around you is infectious.”
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