President Donald Trump inaugurated a year-long series of events leading to the United States’ 250th birthday on Thursday evening with a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. The Independence Day–weekend gathering formally opened the “America 250” program, which will culminate on 4 July 2026.
The celebration featured patriotic music, including a performance by singer Lee Greenwood, historical displays and a fireworks show. Monica Crowley, the administration’s liaison to the bipartisan America250 commission, said Iowa’s central location and the state’s history of supporting Trump made it a “logical choice” to launch festivities intended to foster “shared values and civic pride” in a politically divided nation.
In remarks lasting more than an hour, Trump declared, “Exactly one year from tomorrow, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s founding with a birthday party the likes of which you have never seen before.” He linked the kickoff to a broader policy push, touting the House’s narrow 218-214 passage earlier in the day of his sweeping tax-and-spending package, branded the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which now awaits his signature.
Organisers plan events in every state and territory over the next 12 months, ending with a national fair on the Mall in Washington. The initiative mirrors the 1976 bicentennial effort, which aimed to restore unity after Vietnam and Watergate; surveys show a similar challenge today, with an AP-NORC poll last month finding only about four in 10 adults approving of Trump’s performance and wide partisan gaps in expressions of patriotism.
TRUMP: "Exactly one year from tomorrow, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of America's founding with a birthday party, the likes of which you have never seen before!" 🇺🇸
PRESIDENT TRUMP: “This evening, we are officially launching ‘America 250. An enormous, year-long, nationwide celebration of our heritage, our great flag, and our glorious American freedom.” 🇺🇸
President @realDonaldTrump: ""Exactly one year from tomorrow, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of America's founding with a birthday party the likes of which you have NEVER seen before!"
