The Patriot Post® · America 250: Trump Makes DC Beautiful and Safe

It turns out cleaning up crime wasn’t the only thing President Donald Trump wanted to take care of in our nation’s capital.

Last August, Trump declared “Liberation Day” in the capital, promising that “we’re going to take our capital back” from criminal activity. Over the subsequent months, his approach has worked so well that crime in Washington, DC, is down — even from the phony numbers that led to the firing of several members of the police department.

The cleanup hasn’t stopped there, though. We all know that Trump demanded a fix to the Reflecting Pool in front of the Washington Monument. Now, instead of algae-crusted gunk thanks to an ill-advised “fix” back in the Barack Obama days, the pool’s “American blue” lining provides the perfect backdrop for photogenic views as it has been refilled in recent days — just in time for the semiquincentennial celebration.

“I can’t remember the last time I looked into the water of that thing and didn’t see something resembling the creature of the black lagoon looking back at me,” quipped Jarrett Stepman at The Daily Signal. “I may not have Hollywood looks, but I don’t look that bad.”

And that’s not all for the waterworks. “We had 22 fountains that didn’t work,” Trump marveled. In an email to reporters, White House spokesperson Katie Martin added, “Obama and Biden neglected this upkeep for decades. D.C. residents and visitors are experiencing working fountains across the district, safe streets, and clean park land for the first time in decades, all thanks to President Donald J. Trump.”

These fixes, though, come with a cost. Republicans worry that Trump’s fixation on the nation’s capital doesn’t address pocketbook issues for regular Americans, while Democrats continue to thwart repairs to the East Wing of the White House and try to stop the planned UFC Freedom 250 fights slated for the White House’s South Lawn next week. (As PJ Media’s David Manney explained, “Trump’s critics have now reached the point where a prizefight needs courtroom rescue.”) In addition, the planned Great American State Fair, which was supposed to feature a series of concerts, has instead become something of a laughingstock as several of those musical acts have pulled out.

But even leftist Bill Maher believes it makes Democrats appear unpatriotic. “Now it’s just a big MAGA rally, this whole thing,” noted Maher. “Wouldn’t it have been better just to play this gig? Can’t we all celebrate America itself and leave Trump out of it?” We all know the answer to that rhetorical question.

That’s especially true when you compare events Democrats seemed to have no problem with, such as bathing the White House in rainbow-colored lights and flags for Pride Month or hosting a pride celebration in which one “transgender” guest bared his artificial breasts to celebrate. The Biden administration simply dismissed his action as “not reflective of the event,” but as our Nate Jackson said at the time, “It was exactly reflective of the prideful and hyper-sexualized movement Biden and crew were ostentatiously celebrating.”

Whether or not you agree with the idea of a UFC fight or a massive fair on the hallowed grounds of Washington, DC, at least these are events most Americans would be interested in or take part in, not just a chosen few. It’s not like certain politicians who clean out the homeless only to impress a foreign leader.

Overall, though, the words of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum ring true: “All D.C. needed was President Trump.” It’s a happy circumstance of history that Trump is our nation’s leader as we celebrate 250 years of independence, as he is doing his level best to make our nation’s capital worthy of the celebration we’re about to have. It may not feature events that are everyone’s cup of tea, but the legacy he’s trying to establish can well serve our nation’s capital for many more Independence Day commemorations.

As Stepman explained, “The projects around D.C. demonstrate a return to the ‘can do’ ethos that built this country,” and its resurgence is appropriate to celebrate 250 years of a great nation that does good.