Donald Trump delivered a speech on July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington during celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the United States. According to accounts from multiple news outlets, the president also spoke at Mount Rushmore as part of the same commemorative marathon. During the address, which lasted approximately 40 minutes, Trump stated that America will never become a communist country. He described communism as a threat to American freedom and said it represents the worst threat in the nation's history. He also said that one can be loyal to America or to Karl Marx, but not both, and criticized what he called the radical left. The president referenced the notion that Americans were created in God's image, stating that a communist would never say that. He also reaffirmed his defense of the Second Amendment on the right to bear arms. According to La Stampa, the event was affected by adverse weather: attendees were temporarily evacuated due to bad weather, and the celebrations were scaled back compared to expectations, with no parade and lower-than-anticipated attendance due to the heat. Trump nevertheless described the moment as the dawn of America's golden age. As part of the ceremony, he reportedly invited a 107-year-old Normandy landing veteran on stage. On the evening of Sunday, July 5, the day after the Independence Day celebrations, Trump published a post on his social network Truth featuring a photo of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni taken at the G7 in Evian, accompanied by the caption need a restraining order. The post appeared on the eve of the NATO summit scheduled for July 7 and 8 in Ankara. According to multiple sources, the Italian government chose not to respond to the post, with Palazzo Chigi describing it as a provocation. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Prime Minister Meloni reportedly agreed overnight to ignore the post in order to keep the agenda for Ankara unchanged. Politician Carlo Calenda commented on the post, calling Trump a cheap bully. The post reportedly references a previous episode at the G7 in Evian, when Trump had claimed that Meloni had begged him for a photo together, a statement that Meloni had denied on social media, stating that neither she nor Italy ever beg. The NATO summit in Ankara is expected to focus significantly on defense spending by allied countries. According to several press accounts, Italy plans to increase its military spending to around 3.4% of GDP by 2028, though the exact figures remain a matter of debate across different reports. Trump has expressed the goal that allies reach the 5% of GDP target, agreed for 2035, much sooner. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has emphasized that the challenge is now about delivery rather than promises. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stated that Italy will honor its commitments and described the summit as prepared to ensure everything functions properly.