Celebrating America’s 250th Through Music and Reflection

America’s foundation lies in its seminal documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. In celebration of America’s 250th birthday, Ann, my wife, organized a remarkable event at Planet Word. This language museum in Washington aims to promote literacy. The celebration featured Nolan Williams Jr., a singer-composer who led a singalong of classic American songs, including Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.”

Despite the sweltering 100-degree heat, the museum’s main hall was filled with 300 diverse attendees, both young and old, singing together with enthusiasm. The room resonated with joy and camaraderie, and many attendees expressed a wish for the entire nation to embody such unity daily. It left several pondering, “Why aren’t we singing these songs together on the National Mall?”

Unfortunately, a contrasting version of “This Land Is Your Land” emerged on the National Mall that evening, which I refer to as the Trump variation. Its implied lyrics echoed, “This land is my land, this land is my land, from California to the New York island.”

President Trump is known for his consistency. His focus lies with his base, not with uniting the nation. His strategy hinges on division, not inclusion. As reported by my newsroom colleague Shawn McCreesh, Trump used the nation’s birthday to warn about Democrats, mentioning ‘communism’ and advocating for voting restrictions, just months before the midterms. The event felt more like a typical Trump rally than a national celebration.

Meanwhile, my colleagues Eric Lipton and David Yaffe-Bellany documented losses nearing $3.81 billion borne by those who invested in Trump’s memecoin, according to the cryptocurrency analytics firm Nansen. Despite these losses, Trump himself disclosed a financial gain of $636 million from the same venture, accruing at least $2.2 billion in total business income in 2025.