Nearby, Iowa state congressman Eddie Andrews was hanging off the back of a farm tractor draped with stars-and-stripes livery, shouting “God bless America!” at the top of his lungs to crowds headed toward the Mall.
“Really this day, 250 years ago, really marked the new modern day of freedom, and it’s why America leads the world in so many areas,” he told AFP, between laps through downtown DC.
A few blocks away, Donna Dasher and her husband Albert were trying to get a photo of the White House.
“I think it’s just the greatest event in our nation’s history,” Dasher said. “President Trump is trying to do everything he can to make it the greatest celebration, and some people say, ‘Oh, it’s about Trump.’ No, it’s not.”
The Dashers traveled from Richmond Hill, Georgia to celebrate both America’s anniversary and their own, adding that they were holding military veterans – including some members of their family – in their thoughts during the festivities.
