Donald Trump had grand designs for America's 250th anniversary. A sprawling state fair on the National Mall. Military fly-overs galore. The most powerful fireworks display known to man. And, most importantly, a primetime speech from the president himself, one he promised would be  really long  in what seemed like a direct challenge to the implement weather forecasted to hit Washington, D.C., on the Fourth of July.

The weather was indeed inclement. The heat led to the cancellation of the Independence Day Parade, and later in the day incoming thunderstorms led to the evacuation of the National Mall. It was a chaotic scene, but Trump vowed to soldier on, claiming on Truth Social that he'd wait until 2:00 a.m. if he had to, and that, actually, storms mean good luck.  It's Saturday night, LET'S HAVE SOME FUN,  he wrote.

Trump toggled from party boy to brave patriot warrior as the night wore on. Bret Baier of Fox News recalled telling Trump that he may not be talking to very many people if he delayed his speech to the early hours of the morning. Trump was undeterred:  He said,  I don't care. It's America 250. If they can storm the beaches of D-Day on D-Day, I can deliver a speech and keep this program going.' 

Trump evoking D-Day before giving a rally speech is absurd, but it wasn't the only bizarre reference to history he made as he tried to commemorate the nation's semiquincentennial.

He started with the nation's founding. The First Amendment lays out the right to practice religion, and the founders explicitly called for the separation of church and state. Trump the the Republican Party, however, have long pushed the idea that America is for Christians first and foremost, and that everyone else should be grateful to be here if not forcibly eradicated. Trump clumsily brought God into his telling of the story of America on Saturday.

 As our Declaration of Independence tells us, we are all made in the image of one almighty god,  he said, adding that  a communist will never say that, that's for sure.  Editor's picks

He's right about the last part, at least, because the Declaration of Indepe

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