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The United States celebrates its 250th anniversary this Saturday with deep national division and under the prominence of President Donald Trump, who accuses "radicals and extremists" of attacking the country's identity.
This historic commemoration of independence coincides with a brutal heatwave that has placed about 160 million Americans under alerts for intense or extreme temperatures.
A situation that complicates or has wreaked havoc on dozens of parades and parties in towns and cities across much of the country, where the July 4th holiday is one of the most anticipated of the year.
For example, the annual Independence Day parade in Washington, scheduled for this Saturday morning, has been canceled "due to extreme heat," its organizers reported.
The scorching sun has not deterred Trump, who has done everything possible to hog the spotlight of the celebrations.
On Saturday night, he will hold a campaign-style rally on the National Mall in Washington, accompanied by military flyovers and what he has touted as the largest fireworks display in the world.
"It's going to be about 107 degrees (Fahrenheit, 41 ºC), and I'm going to go and I'm going to give a very long speech, just to prove that I can do anything," Trump announced Wednesday.
Late Friday, the president visited the Mount Rushmore National Memorial to deliver a speech under the gaze of the giant granite-carved heads of four of his legendary predecessors.
[Publicidad]