In this TIME essay, Elliot Ackerman examines the controversy surrounding President Donald Trump’s 2019 Fourth of July “Salute to America” and what the debate revealed about political polarization, military pageantry, and American civic life.

A Polarizing Celebration

Trump’s plans included military aircraft, tanks, service chiefs, and a presidential address at the Lincoln Memorial. Critics objected to the expense, disruption, politicization, and use of the armed forces as spectacle, while supporters viewed the event as a patriotic celebration.

Military Pageantry and Political Protest

Ackerman acknowledges the objections but argues that Independence Day has always been marked by changing traditions. Rather than allowing the event to dominate public attention, he suggests that Trump’s critics could ignore the spectacle, participate in alternative celebrations, and express their opposition at the ballot box.

Disagreement as an American Tradition

The essay presents passionate disagreement as part of the nation’s identity. Ackerman points to the nineteenth-century Horribles Parade, where citizens used costumes and satire to mock political leaders, as a distinctly American response to power and polarization.

Celebrating Independence

Ultimately, Ackerman argues that Americans need not agree on how to observe the Fourth of July. The freedom to celebrate, criticize, satirize, or simply tune out may itself be one of the holiday’s most fitting expressions.

Read the Original Essay

Read “The Absurd Fight Over President Trump’s July 4th ‘Salute to America’” at TIME →