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Trump aims to right the ship on America’s 250th birthday

From a reflecting pool turned green with algae to cancelled acts and sparse attendance, a string of setbacks has dogged the president’s vision

A cyclist rides past a picture of U.S. President Donald Trump, outside the U.S. Department of the Interior, on the day of Fourth of July celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. Independence, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 4, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard

A cyclist rides past a picture of U.S. President Donald Trump, outside the U.S. Department of the Interior, on the day of Fourth of July celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. Independence, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 4, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard

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UN Ambassador David Lametti attends a meeting titled "Restoring Childhood and Humanity: Advancing Peace in Ukraine Through the Return of Deported Children" during the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

UN Ambassador David Lametti attends a meeting titled "Restoring Childhood and Humanity: Advancing Peace in Ukraine Through the Return of Deported Children" during the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

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A cyclist rides past a picture of U.S. President Donald Trump, outside the U.S. Department of the Interior, on the day of Fourth of July celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. Independence, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 4, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard

A cyclist rides past a picture of U.S. President Donald Trump, outside the U.S. Department of the Interior, on the day of Fourth of July celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. Independence, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 4, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard

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Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez speaks during a press conference addressing the government's response to the back-to-back earthquakes in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

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Visitors to the National Archives Museum in Washington view the original Declaration of Independence on Friday.

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Newly consecrated Bishops, from left, Marc Hanappier, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry, Michael Goldade and Pascal Schreiber wearing their miters and holding their pastoral staffs, stand at the end of their consecration ceremony in a tent set up outside the Society of St. Pius X seminary in Econe, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

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The Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and U.S. Capitol are seen at dawn as joggers run past an overlook in Arlington, Va., Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

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Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu delivers an announcement in Ottawa on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle

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Gabriela Alves pets her dog, which she found alive a week after the earthquakes, at a McDonald’s restaurant being used as a temporary health center and pet reunification center in La Guaira, Venezuela, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

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Mourners attend the start of the dayslong funeral ceremonies for the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Mourners attend the start of the dayslong funeral ceremonies for the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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Investigators examine the scene at the residential building where an explosive device seriously injured three people a day earlier in Monaco, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

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In this photo taken Sunday, May 17, 2020, U.S. and Canadian flags fly atop the Peace Arch at Peace Arch Historical State Park on the border with Canada, where people can walk freely between the two countries at an otherwise closed border, in Blaine, Wash. Canada and the U.S. have agreed to extend their agreement to keep the border closed to non-essential travel to June 21 during the coronavirus pandemic. The restrictions were announced on March 18, were extended in April and now extended by another 30 days. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

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U.S. President Donald Trump, next to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, arrives to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 24, 2026. REUTERS/KEVIN LAMARQUE TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

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