Washington: America turns 250 on Saturday — a landmark birthday that coincides with a time of deep national division and a president determined to seize the festive center stage.
The independence anniversary also comes in the middle of a brutal heatwave that has placed some 160 million Americans under major or extreme heat warnings, playing havoc with planned parades and block parties in towns and cities across much of the country.
But the searing temperatures have done little to deter President Donald Trump, who has gone to great lengths to ensure the event becomes, in large part, a celebration of himself.
On Saturday evening, Trump will hold a huge campaign-style political rally on the National Mall in the capital Washington, along with roaring military flyovers and what he has touted as the world’s biggest fireworks display.
“It’s going to be approximately 107 degrees (41C) out, and I’m going to go and I’m going to make a really long speech — just to show that I can do anything,” he earlier said.
