A Trump event will reportedly ruin the view of the 4th of July fireworks for many in DC

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A Trump event will reportedly ruin the view of the 4th of July fireworks for many in DC

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DC july 4

Alex Wong/Getty Images

Fireworks explode overhead at the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument on Independence Day July 4, 2018 in Washington, DC.

  • In Washington D.C., the upcoming fireworks show at the National Mall on July 4th is being billed as the largest display the nation's capital has ever seen.
  • Fox News reported that a rally in support of President Donald Trump at the Lincoln Memorial is compelling event organizers to move the fireworks launching site to the Tidal Basin.
  • As a result, the display wouldn't be aligned with the National Mall, placing the Capitol building and the Washington Monument out of the main line of sight.
  • Washington residents and tourists hoping for a more traditional visual treat on America's 243rd anniversary of declaring independence from Great Britain could be disappointed.
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The crackling fireworks display on July 4th is a celebrated American tradition. In Washington D.C., the upcoming show at the National Mall is being billed as the largest fireworks display the nation's capital has ever seen.

"We're gearing up for what I think we can safely say without hyperbole is going to be the biggest fireworks show that D.C. has seen," Mike Litterst, spokesman for the National Park Service's Washington sites, told the Washington Examiner.

Read more: Trump announces July 4 mega-celebration called 'A Salute To America,' but leaves out military parade

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It's part of President Donald Trump's effort to remake this year's annual patriotic display, scheduling an evening speech at the Lincoln Memorial featuring flyovers of military jets and Air Force One. But Washington residents and tourists hoping for a more traditional visual treat on America's 243rd anniversary of declaring independence from Great Britain could be disappointed.

Fox News reported that the celebration at the Lincoln Memorial is forcing event organizers to move the fireworks launching site from the National Mall to the Tidal Basin. As a result, views of the display would be obscured from the Capitol building by 30% to 40%.

President Trump has drawn criticism for inserting himself into this year's July 4th celebration in Washington as presidents typically avoid politicizing the day's events. Rep. Gerald Connolly, a Democrat from Virginia, told the New York Times that Trump "can't resist injecting partisan politics into the most nonpartisan sacred American holiday there is: The Fourth of July."

The celebration, titled "Salute to America," will also feature performances from songwriter Carol King, singer Vanessa Williams and the National Symphony Orchestra.

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