Former President Donald Trump proposed a 12-month celebration to mark the 250th anniversary of America’s declaration of independence from England.
The patriotic celebration would begin on Memorial Day 2025 and end on July 4, 2026, with events in every state as part of the “Salute to America 250.” Trump detailed his plan "to give America’s founding in 1776 the incredible anniversary it truly deserves" in a video that was shared on Truth Social and previewed by Politico.
“As a nation, we should be preparing for the most spectacular birthday party,” said Trump. “We want to make it the best of all time.”
Trump has called for a “Great American State Fair” with pavilions representing each state in the nation. The Republican said he would launch a task force on the first day of his presidency to being planning the nationwide celebration with state and local governments.
“I will work with all 50 governors, Republican and Democrat alike,” Trump said in the video. “The Great American State Fair will showcase the glory of every state in the Union, promote pride in our history, and put forth innovative visions for America’s future.”
“My hope is that the amazing people of Iowa will work with my administration to open up the legendary Iowa state fairgrounds to host the Great American State Fair and welcome millions and millions of visitors from around the world to the heartland of America for this special one-time festival,” Trump continued. “Together we will build it, and they will come.”
The former president, who is currently campaigning for a second term in office, has suggested high school athletes take part in “Patriotic Games” as part of the year-long celebration.
“These Patriot Games will allow young Americans from every state to show off the best of American skills, sportsmanship and competitive spirit,” he said.
He also floated renewing efforts to create the “National Garden of American Heroes,” which would feature statues of important figures from American history such as Amelia Earhart, Frederick Douglas, Davey Crockett, Dolley Madison, Antonin Scalia and Harriet Beecher Stowe.
"None will have lived perfect lives, but all will be worth honoring, remembering, and studying," stated Trump’s order, which set an opening date for the Garden of July 4, 2026.
The initiative was included in two executive orders issued by Trump in 2020 and 2021, but was never given funding or moved forward by President Joe Biden.
Toward the end of his video message, Trump asked America’s “great religious communities to pray for our nation and our people as we prepare for this momentous occasion.”
“From the very beginning, America has been a country sustained and strengthened by prayer and by our communities of faith, as we charted the course toward the next 250 years,” Trump said. “Let us come together and rededicate ourselves as one nation, under God.”
Politico noted that "in 1976, President Gerald Ford presided over the 200th anniversary of America’s independence and a [year] long, bicentennial celebration that featured an American Freedom train that traveled through the continental U.S., nautical parades of tall ships, and a U.S. bicentennial parade with special guests that included Queen Elizabeth."
The 250th anniversary has been on Trump’s mind since his first term in the White House.
While addressing a joint session of Congress for the first time as President in February 2017, Trump noted the upcoming milestone.
The president told the assembly lawmakers:A new chapter of American Greatness is now beginning. A new national pride is sweeping across our Nation. And a new surge of optimism is placing impossible dreams firmly within our grasp.
What we are witnessing today is the Renewal of the American Spirit. Our allies will find that America is once again ready to lead.
All the nations of the world – friend or foe – will find that America is strong, America is proud, and America is free.
In nine years, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our founding – 250 years since the day we declared our Independence.
It will be one of the great milestones in the history of the world.
But what will America look like as we reach our 250th year? What kind of country will we leave for our children?
I will not allow the mistakes of recent decades past to define the course of our future.
