Happy 248th birthday, America!
The United States on Thursday is celebrating nearly two and a half centuries of freedom, the Fourth of July holiday that marks its Declaration of Independence from Britain, war-time adversaries in the 1700s and long since, through two world wars in the 20th century and numerous other global conflicts, the staunchest of democratic allies.
The holiday is marked across the U.S. with booming fireworks displays in towns and cities, small and large. Parades celebrate the country’s founding and some of the tenets of the country’s democracy — the freedom of speech, the freedom to vote or not, the freedom to practice a religion or not.
Families often gather with friends and relatives for cookouts, to celebrate their friendship and the heritage of their country, no matter its shortcomings of the moment.
U.S. President Joe Biden, his 2024 reelection campaign embattled by a faltering debate performance a week ago against former President Donald Trump, is hosting an Independence Day barbecue at the White House. He later plans to deliver remarks during a celebration with military and veteran families before attending the annual massive fireworks display on the nearby National Mall.
The 81-year-old Biden vowed Wednesday to not drop his reelection bid but has told associates he realizes he needs to quickly show voters within days that he has the mental and physical ability to run a strong four-month campaign to win the November 5 election and, if he is successful, to be able to effectively govern for four years.
Aside from his scripted holiday events, Biden is speaking Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the stalemated efforts to reach a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas militants to halt fighting in Gaza.
On Friday, Biden is sitting for a lengthy interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos that the network plans to air in the evening, a chance for Biden to show whether he can cogently answer questions from a leading U.S. journalist after fumbling some queries and occasionally losing his train of thought at his debate with Trump.
Biden is also making campaign stops in two political battleground states, Wisconsin on Friday and Pennsylvania on Sunday.
Top Democratic lawmakers and state governors are so far maintaining their support for him, even though some rank-and-file Democrats have voiced worries about Biden’s electoral viability, with two members of the House of Representatives calling for him to end his campaign.
Some Democrats have suggested that Vice President Kamala Harris should be the Democratic presidential nominee instead of Biden, but Harris has said she is all in as Biden’s running mate.
Trump has edged into the lead in national polls to reclaim the presidency he lost to Biden in 2020 but faces sentencing on September 18 for his conviction on 34 felony counts linked to a hush money payment to a porn star just before his successful 2016 run for the White House. Trump is trying to get the verdict overturned but could be placed on probation or sentenced for up to four years in prison.
Aside from the presidential political turmoil, the July 4 holiday is a celebration of U.S. citizenship.
About 11,000 people are officially becoming U.S. citizens in the week surrounding the holiday, double the number from a year ago. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency organized 195 naturalization ceremonies around the globe between June 28 and July 5.
Some of the new citizens — all of whom must be able to read, write and speak basic English and answer at least six questions correctly on a 10-question quiz about American civics and history — are taking their oath of allegiance to the United States on the holiday itself at U.S. historical landmarks, including at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate outside Washington and at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello estate in Virginia.
