july 4 America 250: The history of semicentennial American presidential oratory is limited but Donald Trump’s upcoming semiquincentennial remarks are destined to mark a low point in the canon. The U.S. Capitol is seen through a mockup of President Donald Trump's proposed Triumphal Arch at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington.

America at 250: An Idealist Without Illusions

by Jonathan Alter July 6, 2026July 6, 2026

For all of our understandable angst, let’s chart the good change since the Bicentennial.

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