President Donald Trump kicked off a weekend of celebrations for America's 250th birthday with a politically charged speech at Mount Rushmore on Friday.
Ahead of the speech, Trump posted a video on social depicting a gilded Mount Rushmore with his face chiseled into the national memorial next to Abraham Lincoln, after the White House earlier suggested Trump could be an "addition" to the mountain where the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt are also etched.
"Tomorrow, we mark 250 years of glorious independence and 250 years of majestic American freedom. Nothing like it," Trump said in his opening remarks.
"The birth and survival of the American nation under God is, quite simply, the best and most incredible thing ever to happen on this planet by human hands. Ever. That is ever, ever, ever. No other country has done more good for this world than the United States of America."
In addition to focusing on American exceptionalism and national identity, Trump also delved into what he perceives as a threat to the future.
"In recent years, there's been an undeniable attempt to change this exceptional character, to beat the American spirit out of us, alienate us from our history, and to make it impossible to even answer the question, what does it mean to be an American," he said.
He described communism as a "mortal threat to American liberty." A number of democratic socialists have risen to prominence in recent months and the primary elections and Trump has continually warned of the rise of communism, despite the differences between the two philosophies.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, and others have denied being communists and pushed back against the president's taunts.
"America will never be a communist country. We can only lose the midterms if we allow ourselves to lose the midterms. If we are foolish, stupid and unwise," he added.
In the video Trump posted on social media ahead of his speech, a Trump voice-over says, "I will be the greatest president for many, many years to come," before a 3D graphic of Trump set into Mount Rushmore emerges and rotates. "And we're gonna have a lot of fun tonight," the voiceover continues.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement to ABC News earlier Friday: "There would be no better addition to the iconic Mount Rushmore than the 45th and 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump," White House .
Trump has previously mused about putting his likeness on the granite peak. He called it a "good idea" on social media in 2020. But so far in his second term, there's been no significant movement toward making that a reality.
The White House did not respond to questions about whether there are actual plans to add the president's likeness to Mount Rushmore and, if so, in what capacity.
Trump flew to Keystone, South Dakota, on the newly retrofitted Air Force One 747, a gift from the Qatari royal family that has drawn criticism. The president used the jet for the first time earlier this week for a trip to North Dakota for the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.
Before his speech Friday, Air Force One conducted a flyover over Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota ahead of the president's remarks.
The Mount Rushmore festivities also include performances by military bands and tributes to the Armed Services. It will culminate in a large fireworks display, the first fireworks show at the national memorial in years, according to the National Park Service.
Trump last spoke at Mount Rushmore in 2020, during his first term, at a time when Americans were grappling with the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump's visit to Mount Rushmore comes ahead of a big event in Washington, D.C., for the Fourth of July.
The "Salute to America 250 Celebration & Fireworks" celebration begins Saturday at 7 p.m. in the nation's capital. The president has teased a long speech to mark the occasion, which is being billed as the largest firework display ever held on the National Mall.
Trump has already called the event the "most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all."
Festivities for the nation's 250th anniversary are unfolding as extreme heat blankets much of the country. Trump, though, earlier this week said high temperatures wouldn't stop him from making his remarks in Washington.