Trump officials have been forced to revise the schedule for the president’s Fourth of July spectacle as a blistering heat wave threatens festivities commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary this weekend.
As President Donald Trump, 80, and his allies panic about a potentially low turnout for Saturday’s major anniversary event in Washington D.C., his Freedom 250 task force announced that, due to the heat, the event will now open to the public at 5 p.m. instead of the originally scheduled 1 p.m.
“Due to the active heat advisory, adjustments have been made to the Salute to America celebration to prioritize the safety and comfort of attendees, volunteers, performers, and staff,” Freedom 250 said in a statement.
“The safety and well-being of every guest remains our top priority as we celebrate this historic 250th Independence Day,” the statement said.
The National Weather Service estimates highs of around 102 degrees on Saturday and has issued an extreme heat warning for the D.C. region.
“In light of current heat conditions, Freedom 250, United States Park Police, National Park Service, the United States Secret Service, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have coordinated closely to adjust event timing and expand cooling resources, water stations, and medical support across the grounds,” the Freedom 250 team said.
Trump and his allies are going all out for the event, which the president hopes will be the largest Independence Day celebration in U.S. history. The festivities will feature military flyovers and demonstrations over the National Mall, live musical performances, remarks by the president, and what organizers have billed as the “World’s Largest Fireworks Display.”
However, the Daily Beast previously reported that, behind the scenes, administration officials have grown increasingly concerned that a disappointing turnout could overshadow the president’s made-for-TV patriotic extravaganza.
The concerns come as his self-hyped Great American State Fair in D.C., which opened on June 25, has drawn sparse crowds and criticism from some of Trump’s own supporters.
The Daily Beast found huge stretches of the grounds largely empty despite organizers expecting thousands of visitors—a humiliating blow to the president, who launched the 16-day spectacle with a MAGA rally.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
