"In spite of the heavy rain, and it was really heavy, we had a remarkable Salute to America on the National Mall," Trump said on Monday. "It was a wonderful day for all Americans and based on its tremendous success we’re just making the decision, and I think we can say we’ve made the decision, to do it again next year and maybe we can say for the foreseeable future."
Trump defied critics who feared he would politicize the July 4 event with a campaign-style speech. Instead, the US president delivered a non-partisan address that extolled service members in all branches of the country’s military.
The event, which preceded an annual fireworks display, also drew protesters, who objected to Trump’s decision to speak and the overall military theme.