WASHINGTON(National Times)- US President Donald Trump lashed out on Friday at what he called a fresh threat against the country\u2019s identity, taking aim at domestic \u201cradicals and extremists\u201d on the eve of America\u2019s 250th birthday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a speech dripping with patriotism, Trump lauded American exceptionalism and praised its past leaders, speaking at Mount Rushmore with its giant carved heads of four of his legendary predecessors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But he added at the foot of the iconic monument: \u201cAs we approach this magnificent anniversary, we see our American identity under a renewed attack.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He charged that there was \u201ca resurgence of the communist menace in our land\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is a theme that Trump has repeatedly hammered home in recent weeks, as the anti-establishment left of the Democratic Party carried a surge of US primary victories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The president has cast the rise of the left ahead of November\u2019s midterm elections that \u201ccommunists\u201d are on the rampage, posing a major \u201cthreat\u201d to the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump said on Friday: \u201cIn recent years, there\u2019s been an undeniable attempt to change this exceptional character, to beat the American spirit out of us, alienate us from our history.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While his language fell short of the more violent anti-immigrant rhetoric he has regularly wielded in past speeches, the underlying message was clear enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou do not have to be born here, but you do have to love what we have built,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The location of Trump\u2019s speech \u2014 a landmark upon which many suspect he would like to see his own face carved into rock \u2014 strikes a fitting image for a president who views himself as being one of the greats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump\u2019s supporters have even introduced legislation to have his likeness chiseled beside those of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At every stage, the 80-year-old Republican has sought to turn the United States\u2019 big anniversary into a celebration of himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On July Fourth, Trump will hold a campaign-style political rally on the National Mall in Washington, along with flyovers by military jets and what he has billed as the world\u2019s biggest fireworks display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Trump \u2014 the billionaire former reality TV star who became the consummate political showman \u2014 taking centre stage is in his blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\u2018Really long speech\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
But America under Trump is deeply divided at what should be a time of national unity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump\u2019s approval ratings are near historic lows, fueled largely by the war in Iran and the skyrocketing cost of living. His Democratic opponents have castigated him over his immigration policies, his family\u2019s growing wealth and attempts to expand presidential power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump\u2019s attempts to stamp his political brand on America\u2019s 250th anniversary have, meanwhile, not always gone to plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Trump-linked organization called Freedom 250 has taken control of many of the festivities from the bipartisan America250 group, leading many people to stay away from key events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A \u201cGreat American State Fair\u201d in the capital designed as a celebration of the country\u2019s birthday has drawn sparse crowds and widespread mockery for its empty booths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A record-breaking heat wave also kept many visitors away, although Trump declared himself undeterred by the heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOn July 4 it\u2019s going to be approximately 107 degrees (41\u00b0C) out, and I\u2019m going to go and I\u2019m going to make a really long speech \u2014 just to show that I can do anything,\u201d he said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the United States marks two-and-a-half centuries of triumphs and tragedies, slavery and freedom, civil war and world wars, surveys show the nation is pessimistic about the chances of realising the \u201cAmerican Dream\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A recent Quinnipiac University Poll showed 61 per cent of Americans thought the US was not living up to the ideals stated in the Declaration of Independence \u2014 though opinion on that was divided, with most Republicans thinking it did, and most Democrats thinking it did not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Fourth of July really is a moment of freedom, but I have to be honest, in these political times, it hasn\u2019t been as exciting to me,\u201d Amy Kimaara, a 49-year-old special education teacher, told AFP<\/em> in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Pakistan felicitates US as it turns 250<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Separately, President Asif Ali Zardari extended felicitations to Trump and the American people on the country\u2019s 250th birthday, a statement issued by the President\u2019s Secretariat said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn his letter to the US president, he stated that the US continues to build upon its enduring legacy of strength, innovation and commitment to the ideals of freedom, democracy and opportunity,\u201d it said, adding that President Zardari also noted the \u201cremarkable achievements of the American people\u201d over this period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said that the two countries shared a long-standing relationship based on mutual respect, shared interests and a common commitment to advancing peace, security and prosperity, adding that they were further strengthened by the Pakistani-American community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDescribing the bilateral relationship as being on an ascendant trajectory, characterised by renewed engagement and a shared determination to build a stronger, future-oriented partnership, the president stressed the importance of sustaining this momentum through structured engagement in energy security, trade and investment, defence and counter-terrorism, and other areas of mutual interest,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n