{"id":418,"date":"2026-07-05T21:04:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T16:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=418"},"modified":"2026-07-05T21:04:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T16:04:09","slug":"red-white-blues-and-oohs-and-aahs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=418","title":{"rendered":"Red, white, blues \u2014 and \u2018oohs and aahs\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><i>With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner<\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>Good Sunday morning.<\/b> This is <b>Erin Doherty<\/b>, hoping everybody stayed cool and enjoyed the festivities. Send me your best firework pictures and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.politico.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#2b4e4f44434e595f526b5b4447425f42484405484446\" target=\"_blank\">get in touch<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA:<\/b> Most Americans remain proud of their country. They\u2019re far less convinced the Founding Fathers would feel the same.<\/p>\n<p><b>The United States just celebrated<\/b> its 250th anniversary, but the year thus far has put the nation\u2019s stark partisan divide on full display. Democrats and Republicans are locked in a highly polarized midterm election year. Americans say they\u2019re losing trust in the government and its leaders. And Washington is divided over key issues like immigration, the economy \u2014 and the direction of the country.<\/p>\n<p><b>A new POLITICO Poll found<\/b> that U.S. adults are split over how the nation\u2019s founders would view the country today: Just 27 percent say they would be proud, while 51 percent say they would be disappointed. Another 22 percent say neither or aren\u2019t sure.<\/p>\n<p><b>The gloomy outlook spans the political spectrum.<\/b> While those who voted for President <b>Donald Trump<\/b> in 2024 are more likely to say the Founding Fathers would be proud, even they are split. Forty-two percent say the founders would be proud of the country today, while another 42 percent say they would be disappointed.<\/p>\n<p><b>It\u2019s even worse among voters<\/b> who backed former VP <b>Kamala Harris<\/b> in 2024. Nearly two-thirds of them say the Founding Fathers would be disappointed with the country today, according to the survey, which was conducted by the independent London-based polling firm Public First from June 14-17.<\/p>\n<p><b>Majorities across both sides of the aisle<\/b> said \u201cAmerica is losing the things that made it American.\u201d Still, Democrats and Republicans vary on what exactly they count as patriotic \u2014 from singing the national anthem, to supporting the military to owning a U.S. flag \u2014 and how proud the country should be of its history.<\/p>\n<p><b>Patriotism itself <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/07\/05\/poll-patriotism-political-right-trump-europe-00986654\" target=\"_blank\"><b>has become increasingly politicized<\/b><\/a><b>.<\/b> Across the West, the political right has claimed the overt language and symbols of national pride. In the U.S., the rise of Trump and his MAGA movement has pushed the GOP to lean into nationalistic policies like mass deportations, an aggressive trade agenda and an \u201cAmerica First\u201d approach to everything. That\u2019s left many Democrats wondering how to redefine patriotism for themselves and their voters.<\/p>\n<p><b>TMZ reporter Charlie Cotton<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TMZ\/status\/2072098486007255395\" target=\"_blank\">recently asked<\/a> Rep. <b>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez<\/b> (D-N.Y.) what she has to say to people who are \u201cstruggling with patriotism right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cNo one can take America away from us,\u201d<\/b> she responded. \u201cAmerica is such a meaningful place to the world because of precisely the kinds of struggles that we feel sometimes. It\u2019s about, yes, the history of our lowest lows &#8230; and it\u2019s also about the triumph of our highest nature over the bad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>Even amid partisan divides<\/b> and broader anxiety about the country\u2019s future, Americans overall supported marking the 250th anniversary. Nearly three quarters (73 percent) say it is important for the U.S. to celebrate the milestone, including 91 percent of Trump 2024 voters and 65 percent of Harris 2024 voters.<\/p>\n<p><b>And despite their more pessimistic view<\/b> of how the Founding Fathers would feel about the country today, 75 percent of U.S. adults say they are proud to be American.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"story-related cl-l db \">\n<div class=\"intext-ad intext-ad--presented  \" style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">\n<p class=\"intext-ad__caption\" style=\"color:#000000\">A message from Amazon:<\/p>\n<div class=\"intext-ad__copy-styles0\">\n<p>Nadine used free skills training to go from packing boxes in an Amazon fulfillment center to building satellites for Amazon Leo. <\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cAmazon paid for all of it and gave me a leg up. They gave me accommodations and my own computer for the first time ever,\u201d she said.<\/b> <\/p>\n<p>More than 700,000 Amazon employees like Nadine have used free skills training to launch new careers. <\/p>\n<p><a style=\"color:#007BC7; text-decoration:underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/ad.doubleclick.net\/ddm\/clk\/644191560;450795006;h;gdpr=${GDPR};gdpr_consent=${GDPR_CONSENT_755}\" target=\"_blank\">Read her story.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><span style=\"color:#b70000;font-weight:bold;font-family:sans-serif;\"><b>THE CELEBRATIONS<\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Trump delivered his much-anticipated<\/b> speech commemorating America\u2019s 250th on the National Mall last night, taking the stage after 11 p.m. He spoke for almost 40 minutes, blending his usual campaign-style speaking with a message of reverence for America\u2019s semiquincentennial.<\/p>\n<div class=\"story-interrupt pos-alpha format-m \">\n<aside class=\"interrupt-item\">\n<div class=\"story-media\">\n<figure class=\"media-item type-photo\">\n<div class=\"fig-graphic \">\n                    <picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/1597a92\/2147483647\/resize\/762x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2c%2F1b%2Fea1afd3f498198081ce609403443%2Famerica-25-independence-day-trump-91-9.jpg 1x, https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/91859fb\/2147483647\/resize\/1524x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2c%2F1b%2Fea1afd3f498198081ce609403443%2Famerica-25-independence-day-trump-91-9.jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1012px)\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/48f250a\/2147483647\/resize\/465x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2c%2F1b%2Fea1afd3f498198081ce609403443%2Famerica-25-independence-day-trump-91-9.jpg 1x, https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/49b0af1\/2147483647\/resize\/930x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2c%2F1b%2Fea1afd3f498198081ce609403443%2Famerica-25-independence-day-trump-91-9.jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 686px)\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/cacabc9\/2147483647\/resize\/665x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2c%2F1b%2Fea1afd3f498198081ce609403443%2Famerica-25-independence-day-trump-91-9.jpg 1x, https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/8658a0f\/2147483647\/resize\/1330x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2c%2F1b%2Fea1afd3f498198081ce609403443%2Famerica-25-independence-day-trump-91-9.jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 321px)\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/f7f0738\/2147483647\/resize\/310x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2c%2F1b%2Fea1afd3f498198081ce609403443%2Famerica-25-independence-day-trump-91-9.jpg 1x, https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/fbd13fe\/2147483647\/resize\/620x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2c%2F1b%2Fea1afd3f498198081ce609403443%2Famerica-25-independence-day-trump-91-9.jpg 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 320px)\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/1597a92\/2147483647\/resize\/762x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2c%2F1b%2Fea1afd3f498198081ce609403443%2Famerica-25-independence-day-trump-91-9.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/1597a92\/2147483647\/resize\/762x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2c%2F1b%2Fea1afd3f498198081ce609403443%2Famerica-25-independence-day-trump-91-9.jpg 1x, https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/91859fb\/2147483647\/resize\/1524x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2c%2F1b%2Fea1afd3f498198081ce609403443%2Famerica-25-independence-day-trump-91-9.jpg 2x\" alt=\"President Donald Trump gestures at the conclusion of his speech during Salute to America, an Independence Day event honoring the nation's 250th anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington.\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n                        <\/div><figcaption>\n<p>\n                            Trump speaks on the National Mall to commemorate July Fourth. | Mark Schiefelbein\/AP<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside><\/div>\n<p><b>\u201cThe speech did contain much more history<\/b> than what one ordinarily hears at a Trump rally,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/07\/05\/us\/politics\/trump-speech-fourth-july.html\" target=\"_blank\">NYT\u2019s Shawn McCreesh noted<\/a>. \u201cThe president talked about the \u2018genius\u2019 of the founding fathers. He made mention of <b>Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill<\/b> and <b>Lewis<\/b> and <b>Clark<\/b>. He told the story of Sgt. <b>William Harvey Carney<\/b>, the first African American man to win the Medal of Honor. \u2018He loved our country,\u2019 Mr. Trump said, \u2018he loved our flag.\u2019 Several veterans appeared onstage, and Mr. Trump told stories of their valor and thanked them for their service.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cBut his typical asides<\/b> had a way of puncturing the history lesson,\u201d NYT notes. \u201c\u2018We rebuilt our military in my first term,\u2019 he said at one point. \u2018We used it a little bit in our \u2014 actually, I should say third term, but I won\u2019t do that, because I don\u2019t want any controversy.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>He also leveled his usual gripes<\/b> about how he has been treated. \u201cUnlike so many others in the world, in this country we have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, equal justice under the law \u2014 although I wasn\u2019t treated that well, but we won\u2019t get into that,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n<p><b>And he returned to his recent favorite attack line<\/b>, pointing to what he calls the rise of communism as a reason to reject Democrats in the midterm elections later this year. \u201cWe don\u2019t want communists in our country,\u201d he said. \u201cIt never worked, and it never will work.\u201d In his first Truth Social post of the day marking America\u2019s 250th celebrations, Trump said: \u201cHas anyone ever seen a Happy Dumocrat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>Still, the president saved plenty of room<\/b> for patriotic pomp, holding the United States up as a beacon of life and liberty. \u201cFor 250 years, the United States has been the hope, the promise, the light and the glory among all of the nations in the world,\u201d Trump said. \u201cNobody can be like us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>The counterprogramming:<\/b> A handful of Democrats who have positioned themselves as figures who might lead the party into the future put out their own messages marking the holiday \u2014 offering direct opposition to Trump\u2019s version of celebration.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom<\/b> \u2014 a potential 2028 presidential candidate \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/GavinNewsom\/status\/2073487059990597922?s=20\">posted his own speech<\/a> from the Governor\u2019s Mansion in Sacramento, deploying his typical rhetoric warning of Trump\u2019s effect on modern politics. \u201cThis is one man trying to do to our American self-government what no king and no foreign power has ever managed to do,\u201d Newsom said, frequently mentioning the president by name.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>In Maryland, Gov. Wes Moore<\/b> \u2014 another name being floated in 2028 jockeying \u2014 took a slightly different tack. Moore\u2019s speech at the Maryland State House in Annapolis made no mention of Trump by name \u2014 but his warnings echoed Newsom\u2019s and left no doubt to who was on his mind,cautioning that the \u201cvery premise of patriotism is under attack\u201d and lamenting that the \u201cpolitics of today feel like a grift.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>On Friday, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani,<\/b> who\u2019s constitutionally ineligible to be president but will likely possess kingmaker powers among the insurgent left, gave his vision: \u201cWe are told that America is exceptional because we are richer, stronger, more powerful than everyone else,\u201d Mamdani said. \u201cThe truth, my friends, is that America is exceptional because here nothing is fixed into place.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The less-straightforward characterizations of America<\/b> attracted the ire of<b> VP JD Vance<\/b> in a speech in New York on Saturday: \u201cReject the view of your nation that sees only its sins, but not its grace and its greatness.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>The formers:<\/b> Former President <b>Barack Obama<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BarackObama\/status\/2073399118844629037?s=20\" target=\"_blank\">posted a brief message on X<\/a>, urging the next generation to \u201ctake up the unfinished work of the last and carry it further.\u201d Former President <b>Joe Biden<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JoeBiden\/status\/2073413015383257352?s=20\" target=\"_blank\">in an X post<\/a> encouraged Americans to continue fighting for democracy. \u201cI don\u2019t believe we\u2019re as divided as we\u2019re told we are,\u201d Biden wrote. I\u2019ve bet my whole life on the American people, and I\u2019m not stopping now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>But it was former President Bill Clinton<\/b> who issued the starkest statement on the day. \u201cToday, we celebrate this milestone amid another period of deep division, renewed questions about America\u2019s future and role in the world,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BillClinton\/status\/2073377780423692689?s=20\" target=\"_blank\">Clinton said via his X account<\/a>. He did not name Trump but warned of \u201cthreats to our own institutions and to our democracy itself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>Back in Washington,<\/b> much of the day was marred by extreme weather conditions that caused plenty of discomfort and delays.<\/p>\n<div class=\"story-interrupt pos-alpha format-m \">\n<aside class=\"interrupt-item\">\n<div class=\"story-media\">\n<figure class=\"media-item type-photo\">\n<div class=\"fig-graphic \">\n                    <picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/61fd180\/2147483647\/resize\/762x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2f%2F49%2F2246f30442568b4bf86935d7ce2c%2Famerica-25-8-621.jpg 1x, https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/e8c4745\/2147483647\/resize\/1524x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2f%2F49%2F2246f30442568b4bf86935d7ce2c%2Famerica-25-8-621.jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1012px)\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/55449f3\/2147483647\/resize\/465x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2f%2F49%2F2246f30442568b4bf86935d7ce2c%2Famerica-25-8-621.jpg 1x, https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/f209cf8\/2147483647\/resize\/930x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2f%2F49%2F2246f30442568b4bf86935d7ce2c%2Famerica-25-8-621.jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 686px)\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/42be334\/2147483647\/resize\/665x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2f%2F49%2F2246f30442568b4bf86935d7ce2c%2Famerica-25-8-621.jpg 1x, https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/4359121\/2147483647\/resize\/1330x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2f%2F49%2F2246f30442568b4bf86935d7ce2c%2Famerica-25-8-621.jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 321px)\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/5e358d9\/2147483647\/resize\/310x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2f%2F49%2F2246f30442568b4bf86935d7ce2c%2Famerica-25-8-621.jpg 1x, https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/ee2717e\/2147483647\/resize\/620x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2f%2F49%2F2246f30442568b4bf86935d7ce2c%2Famerica-25-8-621.jpg 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 320px)\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/61fd180\/2147483647\/resize\/762x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2f%2F49%2F2246f30442568b4bf86935d7ce2c%2Famerica-25-8-621.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/61fd180\/2147483647\/resize\/762x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2f%2F49%2F2246f30442568b4bf86935d7ce2c%2Famerica-25-8-621.jpg 1x, https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/e8c4745\/2147483647\/resize\/1524x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F2f%2F49%2F2246f30442568b4bf86935d7ce2c%2Famerica-25-8-621.jpg 2x\" alt=\"A National Guard member gives out free water on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on July 4, 2026. Temperatures reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit, making it the hottest July 4th in D.C.'s recorded history.\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n                        <\/div><figcaption>\n<p>\n                            A National Guard member gives out free water on the National Mall. Temperatures reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit, making it the hottest July Fourth in D.C.&#8217;s recorded history. | Francis Chung\/POLITICO<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside><\/div>\n<p><b>\u201cVisitors in red, white and blue<\/b> darkened with sweat stood in lines for hours, sometimes screaming in frustration and other times collapsing from exhaustion. The Independence Day parade was canceled and the Great American State Fair delayed. Steel fences and closed roads made photos of iconic monuments hard to capture. Both white supremacists and liberal activists marched through the city, each demanding their country back,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/nation\/2026\/07\/04\/celebrations-americas-250th-begin-amid-heat-political-division\/\" target=\"_blank\">WaPo\u2019s Layli Nazarova and colleagues write<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>But once the events kicked off,<\/b> the evening dazzled those gathered.<\/p>\n<div class=\"story-interrupt pos-alpha format-m \">\n<aside class=\"interrupt-item\">\n<div class=\"story-media\">\n<figure class=\"media-item type-photo\">\n<div class=\"fig-graphic \">\n                    <picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/7117f7d\/2147483647\/resize\/762x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F27%2F17%2F0062634a4d5fb0fd2372644414e7%2Famerica-25-9-16.jpg 1x, https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/7c41105\/2147483647\/resize\/1524x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F27%2F17%2F0062634a4d5fb0fd2372644414e7%2Famerica-25-9-16.jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1012px)\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/f636acf\/2147483647\/resize\/465x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F27%2F17%2F0062634a4d5fb0fd2372644414e7%2Famerica-25-9-16.jpg 1x, https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/fc434c5\/2147483647\/resize\/930x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F27%2F17%2F0062634a4d5fb0fd2372644414e7%2Famerica-25-9-16.jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 686px)\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/5dcf6de\/2147483647\/resize\/665x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F27%2F17%2F0062634a4d5fb0fd2372644414e7%2Famerica-25-9-16.jpg 1x, https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/107765a\/2147483647\/resize\/1330x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F27%2F17%2F0062634a4d5fb0fd2372644414e7%2Famerica-25-9-16.jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 321px)\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/e977222\/2147483647\/resize\/310x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F27%2F17%2F0062634a4d5fb0fd2372644414e7%2Famerica-25-9-16.jpg 1x, https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/87a94c9\/2147483647\/resize\/620x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F27%2F17%2F0062634a4d5fb0fd2372644414e7%2Famerica-25-9-16.jpg 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 320px)\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/7117f7d\/2147483647\/resize\/762x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F27%2F17%2F0062634a4d5fb0fd2372644414e7%2Famerica-25-9-16.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/7117f7d\/2147483647\/resize\/762x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F27%2F17%2F0062634a4d5fb0fd2372644414e7%2Famerica-25-9-16.jpg 1x, https:\/\/www.politico.com\/dims4\/default\/7c41105\/2147483647\/resize\/1524x\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F27%2F17%2F0062634a4d5fb0fd2372644414e7%2Famerica-25-9-16.jpg 2x\" alt=\"Fireworks are seen over the Washington Monument.\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n                        <\/div><figcaption>\n<p>\n                            Fireworks are seen over the Washington Monument from the U.S. Capitol building on July Fourth. | Francis Chung\/POLITICO <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside><\/div>\n<p><b>\u201cIn bursts of golds and yellows<\/b>, reds, whites and blues, the fireworks illuminated the black canvas of the late-night sky. On the Mall, squeals of delight and disbelief could be heard from the outset. After a while, it seemed, attendees ran out of expressions of disbelief and just observed quietly,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/dc-md-va\/2026\/07\/05\/july-4-fireworks-national-mall-brilliant-end-challenging-day\/\" target=\"_blank\">WaPo\u2019s Liam Bowman and colleagues write<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cIt felt like a symphony.<\/b> Everything ebbed and flowed,\u201d one observer who had driven to see the fireworks display from Charlotte told WaPo. \u201cI feel like everybody kind of forgot any problems, they got together, there was no negativity anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"story-related cl-l db \">  <\/aside>\n<p><b>SUNDAY BEST \u2026<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>\u2014 Interior Secretary Doug Burgum<\/b> on the white supremecist Patriot Front group marching in D.C. yesterday, on CNN\u2019s \u201cState of the Union\u201d: \u201cCertainly, what they stand for is nothing that I could possibly agree with. But one of the foundational principles of the United States which makes democracy messy is free speech. And there are plenty of things that I see that I might personally find offensive, irreprehensible. \u2026 I mean, we\u2019re a country where someone can run and be elected saying that they\u2019re a communist. But yet this is what our nation has stood against and fought for, because we\u2019re about \u2014 we\u2019re about life and liberty.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/07\/05\/burgum-vandals-reflecting-pool-00987197\" target=\"_blank\"><b><i>More from Burgum on the reflecting pool, via POLITICO\u2019s Emilio Perez Ibarguen<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>\u2014 Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro<\/b> on the Founding Fathers, on \u201cState of the Union\u201d: \u201cThey were worried about creating a government where a king could form again, where one individual would amass so much power that you would have tyranny all over again. I fear that we are finding our way back to that. I think, unfortunately, you have some profoundly and pathetically weak individuals in Congress who could learn a few lessons from the strong foundation that the founders set for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>\u2014 Speaker Mike Johnson<\/b> on the House GOP revolt that has effectively frozen floor action, on \u201cFox News Sunday\u201d: \u201cI just decided it was best to send everybody home to go celebrate July Fourth in their districts. We\u2019ll come back, gather everybody together. The big urgency is to get SAVE America passed.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"story-related cl-l db \">  <\/aside>\n<p><span style=\"color:#b70000;font-weight:bold;font-family:sans-serif;\"><b>6 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>1. NATO THE CASH MACHINE:<\/b> Trump is heading to this week\u2019s NATO summit in Turkey having recast the transatlantic alliance built on shared democratic values into a framework he\u2019s more comfortable dealing with \u2014 a business, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/07\/05\/nato-trump-cash-machine-00985766\" target=\"_blank\">POLITICO\u2019s Paul McLeary and Stefanie Bolzen report<\/a>. At the gathering this week, Trump will again turn the focus on how much Europeans can spend on American military equipment.<\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cThe shift, which reflects<\/b> the administration\u2019s increasingly transactional approach to some of America\u2019s closest allies, risks muscling out discussions about how to expand membership or defend NATO\u2019s eastern flank against Russia. And it has strained the bonds that once kept the group intact \u2014 turning the alliance into one shaped more by national interest than shared ideals,\u201d Paul and Stefanie write.<\/p>\n<p><b>Brave new world:<\/b> Trump is also arriving in Ankara with powerful leverage over the military alliance: The U.S. has the world\u2019s most advanced artificial intelligence technology and can decide which of its allies gets access \u2014 a reality that has frustrated some European allies, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/07\/04\/ai-security-nato-access-00984758\" target=\"_blank\">POLITICO\u2019s Maggie Miller reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b><i>More on NATO:<\/i> <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/magazine\/2026\/07\/05\/nato-eastern-flank-putin-russia-finland-00983997\" target=\"_blank\"><b>\u201cOn the Ground Along NATO\u2019s Eastern Flank \u2014 as Russia Threatens\u201d<\/b><\/a> by POLITICO\u2019s Laura Kayali and Axel Springer Global Reporters Network colleagues<\/p>\n<p><b>2. CASH DASH:<\/b> The NAACP is \u201claunching the biggest midterm spending campaign in the civil rights group\u2019s history as a way of marking the country\u2019s 250th anniversary and as a response to the Supreme Court weakening the Voting Rights Act,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2026-election\/naacp-largest-spending-midterm-election-rcna352711\" target=\"_blank\">NBC\u2019s Bracey Harris scoops<\/a>. \u201cThe NAACP announced the rollout of \u2018We the People,\u2019 a $20 million get-out-the-vote campaign across 14 states \u2014 including competitive states like Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona and Texas \u2014 and 33 congressional districts, with the goal of reaching 6.5 million Black voters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>3. JOLLY GOOD: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/07\/05\/florida-david-jolly-democrats-primary-donalds-00985301\" target=\"_blank\"><b>\u201cA Jolly campaign in Florida amid an angry Democratic summer,\u201d<\/b><\/a> by POLITICO\u2019s Kimberly Leonard: \u201cThere\u2019s no question about it: Democrats are having a hot, insurgent summer. And then there\u2019s <b>David Jolly<\/b> in Florida. The front-runner for the Democratic nomination for governor is an even-tempered attorney, former lobbyist and political commentator who was once a Republican House member. \u2026 Jolly has pledged he won\u2019t engage in negative campaigning and has argued Florida voters are \u2018just looking for some goodness in our politics.\u2019 \u2026 But the question remains whether Jolly\u2019s civil style and posture can invigorate an electorate that seems to crave disruption and generational change.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>4. BACK IN BUSINESS:<\/b> Starting today, Planned Parenthood\u2019s beleaguered network of clinics regain access to hundreds of millions in Medicaid funding as a result of Republicans\u2019 failure to pass an extension of the one-year defunding provision they approved last year. And conservatives are fuming, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/07\/04\/planned-parenthood-abortion-medicaid-congress-00985879\" target=\"_blank\">POLITICO\u2019s Alice Miranda Ollstein reports<\/a>. Conservative lawmakers and activists are furious with GOP leadership for prioritizing other issues in the summer\u2019s budget battles. The anti-abortion movement argues this is a bigger blow to morale than other issues that have come up with the administration because they view it as backsliding on something already achieved.<\/p>\n<p><b>5. IT\u2019S ALWAYS 2020 SOMEWHERE:<\/b> Arizona was a hotbed for the baseless election denialism that Trump led following the 2020. And the issue is still bubbling in the battleground, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/politics\/elections\/the-war-over-who-controls-elections-in-a-key-midterm-battleground-2c4891c9\" target=\"_blank\">WSJ\u2019s Eliza Collins reports from Phoenix<\/a>. \u201cIn videos released this summer by Maricopa County, two election staff \u2026 removed a ballot envelope scanner and provisional ballot envelopes from a secure location while votes for a special election were still being tallied. They returned the equipment within an hour. The incident is the latest flashpoint in an increasingly bitter fight between the mostly Republican elected officials who run elections in Arizona\u2019s biggest county. The clash has rekindled a debate many Arizona voters had hoped to move on from.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>6. <\/b><span style=\"color:#b70000;font-weight:bold;font-family:sans-serif;\"><b>MORE FROM THE POLITICO POLL:<\/b><\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/07\/04\/poll-politics-celebrities-athletes-partisan-divides-00986697\" target=\"_blank\"><b>\u201cAmericans say they\u2019re sick of politics taking over their lives. With exceptions,\u201d<\/b><\/a> by POLITICO\u2019s Jessie Blaeser and Alec Hern\u00e1ndez: \u201cRoughly 60 percent of Americans say it feels like politics are everywhere these days where it does not make sense for things to be political, according to new results from The POLITICO Poll. It\u2019s a rare point of harmony between Republicans and Democrats, with majorities of both parties also agreeing that it is becoming less important what celebrities say about politics. Unless they agree with them.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"story-related cl-l db \">\n<div class=\"intext-ad intext-ad--presented  \" style=\"background-color:#FFFFFF\">\n<p class=\"intext-ad__caption\" style=\"color:#000000\">A message from Amazon:<\/p>\n<div class=\"intext-ad__copy-styles3\">\n<p><b>More than 700,000 Amazon employees globally have used free skills training to launch new careers.<\/b> <\/p>\n<p>Nadine used Amazon Career Choice to become a satellite technician, turning a job working nights in an Amazon fulfillment center into a new career. <\/p>\n<p><a style=\"color:#007BC7; text-decoration:underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/ad.doubleclick.net\/ddm\/clk\/644163507;450794955;t;gdpr=${GDPR};gdpr_consent=${GDPR_CONSENT_755}\" target=\"_blank\">See the impact.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><b>FOR YOUR RADAR \u2014 Paul Pelosi,<\/b> Rep. <b>Nancy Pelosi\u2019s<\/b> husband, is suspected of crashing into a parked car and leaving the scene over the Fourth of July weekend, law enforcement officials said Saturday, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/07\/04\/paul-pelosi-investigated-in-hit-and-run-00987120\" target=\"_blank\">per POLITICO\u2019s Marisa Guerra Echeverria<\/a>. The Napa County Sheriff\u2019s Office said a witness reported a brown convertible striking a legally parked, unoccupied vehicle, stopping briefly and driving away. The parked car sustained major rear damage. The Sheriff\u2019s Office said in a news release that Pelosi admitted hitting something but did not know what he hit, so kept driving until his car became disabled. Officials said an investigation detected no alcohol, and that driving under the influence was ruled out.<\/p>\n<p><b>HAPPY BIRTHDAY:<\/b> Sen. <b>Roger Wicker<\/b> (R-Miss.) \u2026 Reps. <b>Jim Himes<\/b> (D-Conn.) and <b>Darin LaHood<\/b> (R-Ill.) \u2026 Louisiana state Treasurer <b>John Fleming<\/b> \u2026 NYT\u2019s <b>David Sanger<\/b> \u2026 <b>Michael LaRosa<\/b> \u2026 <b>Mike Stranz<\/b> \u2026 State\u2019s <b>Dylan Johnson<\/b> \u2026 <b>Laura Peavey<\/b> of the Financial Services Forum \u2026 <b>Kerry Picket<\/b> \u2026 <b>Mike Manatos<\/b> \u2026 <b>Walt Cronkite <\/b>of the Structured Finance Association \u2026 POLITICO\u2019s <b>Zack Colman <\/b>\u2026 <b>Hannah MacInnis<\/b> \u2026 CBS\u2019 <b>Alisa Wiersema Lucaci<\/b> \u2026 <b>Steve McMillin<\/b> \u2026 <b>Beverly Kirk<\/b> \u2026 NBC\u2019s <b>Julie Shapiro<\/b> \u2026 Qualcomm\u2019s <b>Angela Baker<\/b> \u2026 former Rep. <b>David Dreier<\/b> (R-Calif.) \u2026 <b>Steve Rattner<\/b> of Willett Advisors \u2026 <b>Barb Barrett<\/b> of Stateline \u2026<b> David Mortlock <\/b>of Willkie Farr &amp; Gallagher \u2026 <b>Mira Ricardel <\/b>\u2026 <b>John Lawrence <\/b>\u2026 <b>Julie Nixon Eisenhower<\/b><\/p>\n<p><i>Did someone forward this email to you? <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/subscribe\/playbook\" target=\"_blank\"><i>Sign up here.<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<p><i>Send Playbookers tips to <\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/www.politico.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#afdfc3ced6cdc0c0c4efdfc0c3c6dbc6ccc081ccc0c2\" target=\"_blank\"><i><span class=\"__cf_email__\" data-cfemail=\"94e4f8f5edf6fbfbffd4e4fbf8fde0fdf7fbbaf7fbf9\">[email\u00a0protected]<\/span><\/i><\/a><i> or <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/signal.me\/#eu\/Y_J-vxijzCPSLbXEtVrVH0ZLVZVBqr8iBbfikL2lBrl5QgVVODxM47rLk6iFu6EM\" target=\"_blank\"><i>text us on Signal here<\/i><\/a><i>. Playbook couldn\u2019t happen without our editor <\/i><b><i>Giuseppe Macri<\/i><\/b><i> and deputy editor <\/i><b><i>Garrett Ross<\/i><\/b><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n<ul class=\"twitter-authors\">\n<div class=\"twitter-authors__content\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.politico.com\/hosted\/icon_x_gray.png\" class=\"twitter-authors__icon\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner Good Sunday morning. This is Erin Doherty, hoping everybody stayed cool and enjoyed the festivities. Send me your best firework pictures and get in touch. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA: Most Americans remain proud of their country. They\u2019re far less convinced the Founding Fathers would feel the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":419,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.politico.com\/27\/17\/0062634a4d5fb0fd2372644414e7\/america-25-9-16.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=418"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/419"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=418"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}