Trump speaks – President Donald Trump will deliver a keynote address at Mount Rushmore on Friday, July 3 at approximately 8:30 p.m. MT (10:30 p.m. ET) as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations. The evening will culminate with a fireworks show—the first Mount Rus
The fireworks are the part most people remember, but on Friday, July 3, the first true spark of Independence Day weekend will come from a stage beneath Mount Rushmore’s famous presidential busts.
President Donald Trump is set to kick off the holiday stretch with a keynote address to visitors at the South Dakota landmark tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary. The White House schedule places the speech at approximately 8:30 p.m. MT (10:30 p.m. ET).
After Trump’s remarks, the night will end with a massive fireworks display—Mount Rushmore’s first time hosting July 3 fireworks since 2020, when Trump attended during his first term in office.
Before the evening festivities, the day’s plans are built around hours of programming on site, with the National Park Service and the state coordinating the celebration. A ticket lottery to attend has already closed.
Freedom 250—the group working with Trump’s administration to coordinate the weekend’s events—says the July 3 schedule begins with exhibits. reenactors. and interactive experiences running throughout the day. As evening approaches. the event shifts into a tribute to the Armed Forces. including military bands. aviation flyovers. and precision drill demonstrations.
Gov. Larry Rhoden and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are expected to introduce Trump to the crowd. Following the president’s remarks, the event concludes with the fireworks show.
Officials have not yet released a detailed event schedule. but the timing for Trump’s address is set for 8:30 p.m. MT (10:30 p.m. ET) according to the White House. Organizers say the day’s programming is set to run from 4-10 p.m. local time, according to the National Park Service. The fireworks are expected to begin around 9:30 p.m. local time, according to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, part of the USA TODAY Network.
The sequence is built around a simple arc: early programming gives way to a military-focused tribute, the introduction and keynote anchor the crowd’s attention, and then the fireworks take over just as the clock nears 10.
For anyone unable to travel to South Dakota, the Mount Rushmore event will be streamed live on Travel South Dakota’s website.
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