Hammered by steady rain and criticism it was nothing more than a campaign rally in disguise, president Donald Trump's "Salute to America" went off with military precision on the Fourth of July, cheered on by a decent-sized crowd consisting mostly of Trump supporters at Washington D.C.
Surprisingly, Trump kept to his prepared, almost hour-long speech that extolled the U.S. military. His speech was more of a history lesson about the battles fought and the heroes created by America since the original 13 colonies declared independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776.
Speaking behind protective bullet-proof glass panels streaked with strands of dirty rain, Trump tried to act presidential despite his sing-song speech and the look of evident boredom when not delivering one of his impromptu rants at campaign rallies.
Thankfully, Trump's speech lacked the right-wing, inflammatory rhetoric of his rallies where he commonly insulted his foes and piled-up lie after lie.
"We will never forget that we are Americans and the future belongs to us," said Trump in an unmistakably jingoistic statement. "The future belongs to the brave, the strong, the proud and the free. We are one people chasing one dream and one magnificent destiny."
Understood in this ode to what Trump and Republicans call "American exceptionalism" is that America's undisputed military might makes progress possible.
"Our nation is stronger today than it ever was before. It is its strongest now," roared Trump.
Trump, again and again, praised American military might despite avoiding the draft during the Vietnam War by claiming small bone spurs in his feet rendered him unfit for military service. Trump went on with stories about American military heroes since the Revolution of 1776 until the destruction of ISIS in Syria.
He also praised each military branch before separate, dramatic flyovers of their respective military aircraft.
"We celebrate our history, our people, and the heroes who proudly defend our flag: the brave men and women of the United States military," noted Trump. "For over 65 years, no enemy Air Force has managed to kill a single American soldier. Because the skies belong to the United States of America."
Trump supporters, some of them wearing the signature red MAGA hats, applauded their hero at every turn. Some people shouted "Four More Years!" in support of Trump.
And, in a clear sign of pandering to African-Americans among he's widely unpopular, Trump mentioned Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass. In May, Trump's administration decided to keep Tubman's image off the $20 bill.
In another acknowledgment of his mostly white base, Trump paid tribute to the U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, two agencies playing the lead roles in ramming through his brutal anti-immigrant policies along the border with Mexico.
Trump's legion of critics had more to say about Trump's politicizing a day traditionally apolitical.
"Donald Trump, I believe, is incapable of celebrating what makes America great, because I don't think he gets it," said former vice president Joe Biden, the leader in the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders tweeted: "This is what authoritarians do: @realDonaldTrump is taking $2.5 million away from our National Park Service to glorify himself with a spectacle of military tanks rolling through Washington."
