There were chaotic scenes in Washington, D.C. Saturday night as huge crowds rushed to re-enter the National Mall to watch President Donald Trump’s address to the nation on America’s 250th birthday.
MAGA crowds attending the Freedom 250 celebration, marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, were forced to evacuate early evening and seek shelter in nearby federal buildings due to severe thunderstorms that rolled in, bringing the festivities to a halt.
When Trump announced shortly after 9 p.m. ET that the speech was going ahead and the site would reopen at 9:45 p.m., pictures showed huge crowds lining up at the security gates to get back into the event. Some waited more than an hour to get back into the site.
The Secret Service said everyone would need to pass through security again after the evacuation. Most had already waited in line during blistering heat earlier in the day.
“Everyone who evacuated the site will go through screening again. The Secret Service is working to make screening as smooth as possible,” the agency said in a statement. “Our bag restriction and prohibited items list remains the same.”
The public and members of the media were caught up in the chaos, described as “frantic” and “a mess” by reporters on the ground.
One video circulating on social media showed a brawl breaking out near the line as frustrated attendees reached breaking point.
People criticized the logistics and said it created confusion among revelers and members of the press.
“Currently, on the Metro, groups of Trump supporters remain turned around and confused as to how to get back to the National Mall due to the Smithsonian station being exit-only,” former reporter Zachary Petrizzo posted on X. “One couple who asked for directions, said they might just have to watch the speech from their iPhone.”
FOX5’s Josh Rosenthal claimed law enforcement directed crowds to a non-existent security checkpoint location where they waited for more than 10 minutes, before they were redirected to the right location.
“The event organizers genuinely appear to have made zero plans for what would happen in the event of thunderstorms which only happen approximately 94% of the time on hot summer evenings in DC,” another person commented.
Freedom 250, the White House-aligned group responsible for the Great American State Fair and the July 4 celebration, issued a defiant statement after the chaos.
“FOR 250 YEARS, AMERICANS HAVE OVERCOME EVERY CHALLENGE WITH GRIT, RESILIENCE, AND DETERMINATION. A LITTLE RAIN WILL NEVER DIMINISH OUR PRIDE, OUR PATRIOTISM, OR OUR CELEBRATION OF THE GREATEST NATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD,” the group said. “THE SHOW MUST GO ON.”
Taking to the stage at approximately 11:15 p.m. ET, Trump claimed 150,000 people had filed in to hear his address.
The president had said he would be speaking, no matter how late.
“Storms bring luck to whatever the occasion. They also make events a little bit more exciting!” he posted on Truth Social. “We will wait it out, I don’t care if it’s 2:00 O’Clock in the morning, or in one hour from now.”
Freedom 250’s Great American State Fair suffered a series of mishaps this week largely due to a three-day heatwave.
The Independence Day parade was canceled Saturday due to extreme heat and the remaining flyovers later in the day were also unable to go ahead due to the weather.
The event saw sparse crowds during the week, malfunctioning air conditioning units and near-empty exhibits after some states decided not to participate.
