Trump hails America’s founding leaders in 250th anniversary address:US Prez promises new ‘Golden Age’ for the country; PM Modi extends wishes

United States President Donald Trump paid tribute to the four presidents immortalised on Mount Rushmore, describing them as the American giants on the eve of the nation’s 250th Independence Day. During his address at the iconic monument in South Dakota’s Black Hills, Trump anchored his vision for America’s future in the legacy of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt, portraying them as enduring symbols of courage, ambition, and national purpose. “We salute the father of our country, George Washington. The author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson. The great emancipator and saviour of our union, Abraham Lincoln. And the man who built America into a global superpower, Theodore Roosevelt,” the president said. Trump honours America’s founding leaders Describing the four presidents as “men of action, ambition, daring, and destiny”, Trump argued that their achievements established a standard of greatness that continues to define the American character. “These men could only have been made in the USA. Their faces are engraved on these bluffs, not only because of what they did, but to remind us forever who we are. These heroes exemplify what is timeless, enduring, and eternal about the American character,” he said. Trump said the four leaders were not simply historical figures but the architects of a republic that has achieved more in 250 years than any other society in human history. “These are the men who declared the freedom, won our freedom, saved our freedom, and secured our freedom. They were men of action, men of ambition, men of daring, men of destiny, and men of truly great intelligence. Above all, they were great men of history,” he noted. President celebrates US innovation and global influence The president used the address to present a sweeping account of American achievement, portraying the United States as the nation that “dreamed and created the modern world”. Highlighting milestones ranging from the assembly line and the telephone to the splitting of the atom and lunar exploration, Trump argued that the United States remains “the most exceptional nation ever to exist in human history”. Trump also framed America’s legacy as extending beyond political and economic success, describing it as an unparalleled humanitarian mission that has transformed the world. Speaking from the granite slopes of Mount Rushmore, he claimed that no nation has matched the United States in charitable giving or efforts to tackle global challenges. “No one has ever given more to charity, ended more hunger, cured more disease, or done more to uplift humanity than Americans, and no country ever will,” the President declared. He said Americans combine generosity with a strong belief in self-reliance, arguing that success is admired rather than envied and earned through hard work. Trump further emphasised that a deep commitment to freedom and independence lies at the heart of the nation’s identity, describing it as a “precious legacy on which the sun has ever shined”. During his speech, he also highlighted the freedoms he said define the American way of life, including freedom of speech, the right to worship, and the right to bear arms. US President promises a new ‘Golden Age of America’ Trump said the milestone marked not the conclusion of a historic journey but the beginning of a new era that he called the “Golden Age of America.” “Tomorrow, we reach a milestone like no other and celebrate with joyful hearts and soaring spirits—because after two and a half centuries, we know that this is not an ending, this is only the beginning of the Golden Age of America,” he said. PM Modi extends wishes Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated US President Donald Trump and the American people on the historic 250th anniversary of the United States’ Independence, saying the India-US relationship extends beyond a strategic partnership and is rooted in shared democratic values. ​