Awwww!!! Sad Trumpers!! They Roasted In The Heat, Got Shooed Off The Mall By Cops, Spent Lots of Money [View all]

EDIT

But a little before 7 p.m., attendees were ordered to leave the grounds because of approaching violent storms and seek shelter in nearby museums and government buildings. Many on the Mall balked at the order, and some yelled at U.S. Park Police and other law enforcement agents who directed them to leave as skies darkened above them. As the Mall was being cleared, other people continued to arrive, only to be turned away. On Pennsylvania Avenue NW, just steps from the White House, authorities were shepherding attendees from the event perimeter. Crowds streamed in all directions, in search of shelter or a restaurant or their hotels. Officers blew whistles and shouted for everyone to clear the area. But hundreds of people, some in star-spangled outfits or Trump-themed gear, stayed nearby hoping to be let back in.

John Kile, who flew in from Dublin just for the event, fumed at having been turned away. He said he tried to gain access at several checkpoints, spending hours waiting in line. “We came all the way here for the Fourth of July event, got an expensive hotel, and we can’t get in,” said Kile, 29. “And it’s … 100 degrees, so, yeah, definitely a letdown.” “It doesn’t seem to be well-orchestrated to be honest,” he added.

Kile still hoped to be let in, but for others, the strain of the day had proved too much. A dejected Michala Herbster and her grandparents, Carl and Debbie Herbster, sat on a ledge near the Wilson Building, not far from the Mall. The trio waited in line for over two hours in the “unbearable” heat, in hopes of getting a good spot for the fireworks show — and, more importantly, Trump’s speech. After being evacuated from the Mall, all the family wanted to do was to get back to their hotel. Michala, 23, traveled from Ringgold, Louisiana, for the holiday, while her grandparents came in from Indianapolis. “Very expensive trips,” Debbie groused. Unable to call an Uber to get back to their hotel, they headed to the Federal Triangle metro stop, heads bowed slightly as rain continued to fall.

EDIT

Two couples who had been waiting for updates commiserated about the many indignities of the day. “I paid thousands of dollars to come use a Porta Potty for the first time in my life,” said Tanya Wells of Connecticut. “That’s the first time for me, too,” said Georgia resident Almira Bacon. The Bacons and Wellses — who met while waiting out the rain — had challenging days. Michael Bacon described hours of trekking between security checkpoints and waiting in long lines because of contradictory instructions from law enforcement officers. Wells and her husband, Jeremy, echoed his complaints about a lack of clarity from event organizers.

EDIT

https://wapo.st/4oZVh1i

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/07/05/july-4-fireworks-national-mall-brilliant-end-challenging-day/