After years of planning and much hype, America's 250th anniversary celebrations in Washington were a strange spectacle that featured white nationalists gathering in the capital, President Donald Trump delivering another divisive speech and extreme weather disrupting events.
July 4, which fell on Saturday, commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 that ultimately separated the American colonies from Britain.
The holiday is a favourite among US citizens, who gather with loved ones under summer skies to celebrate their country's remarkable history and enjoy barbecues and fireworks.
In Washington, Mr Trump had insisted on celebrations with a narrow scope that relied on red-white-and-blue interpretations of US patriotism instead of embracing the country's epoch-defining contributions to global culture.
His Great American State Fair felt divisive to many, focusing mainly on white Christianity. With the exception of a Ferris wheel, it was largely devoid of popular entertainment. Crowds in the run-up to July 4 had avoided the fair, with the sparse attendance exacerbated by high temperatures.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found a majority of Americans, including three quarters of Democrats and half of Republicans, thought the events celebrating the country's 250th anniversary had become too political.
Another survey, published by NBC on Saturday, found nearly 80 per cent of Americans were willing to put aside their political differences on July 4.
White nationalists
Earlier on Saturday, hundreds of masked white nationalists gathered in Washington for the celebrations.
The Patriot Front group said it arrived in the capital with about 400 members. Crowds of men in matching masks and shirts marched to a military-style drumbeat while waving American and Confederate flags.
Patriot Front was formed in 2017 after the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
At the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, thunderstorms forced authorities to evacuate the area, only for those attending to be allowed back in after going through the security cordon for a second time.
In his speech, which was delayed because of the weather, Mr Trump lauded American achievements such as war victories, the lunar landing and the Wright brothers' pioneering flight, as well as the US system of government.
But he also urged Congress to pass stalled legislation that would limit mail ballots and require proof of citizenship to register to vote, said he had “wiped out” Iran's military and warned against a rise of communism in the US, likening it to “cancer”.
His comments come amid a growing wave of political support for progressive Democrats such as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
“We like to stop a threat like that immediately and before it begins,” Mr Trump said. “It's like a cancer – you've got to cut it out and you got to cut it out fast.”
Celebrations were capped by a colossal fireworks display that had been delayed by the stormy weather.
The July 4 holiday – and Mr Trump’s role in it – coincides with political polarisation among Americans and low approval ratings for the President.
His efforts to revamp Washington with pet projects – a White House ballroom, a triumphal arch and a revamped John F Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts – contrast with voters’ concerns about the economy.
