Beneath Mount Rushmore, America’s most iconic mountain, Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason once fled in Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest” — and it is beneath that same mountain that Donald Trump will stand for the 250th Independence Day celebrations. The U.S. President will speak literally in the shadow of giants — the four presidents carved into the granite face of the mountain — as part of the festivities marking the 250th anniversary of America’s declaration of independence on July 4, 1776.
Whether George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt would have wanted Trump to speak beneath one of the most celebrated symbols of American freedom and self-determination is a question that cannot be answered, as the organization Freedom 250 pointedly noted. Nevertheless, the current President of the United States believes he stands worthy of their company.
President @realDonaldTrump is coming back to the Mount Rushmore State for the Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration!
Together, we will throw the biggest birthday party ever for our nation and celebrate America’s legacy of freedom, liberty, and justice for all! pic.twitter.com/tteoVxSDEj
— Larry Rhoden (@LarryRhodenSD) June 25, 2026
Donald Trump: Carved into the mountain — by legislation?
In an AI-generated image he posted on Truth Social, Trump pictured himself as the fifth face on the mountain. A Republican congresswoman had even introduced a bill to make it happen — however, according to the monument’s officials, there is simply not enough suitable rock remaining to carve an additional face. Had there been, the next candidates would most likely have been either Franklin Roosevelt or John F. Kennedy. According to the official preview of the 250th Independence Day celebrations, Trump’s speech in South Dakota will be followed by a grand fireworks display.
