US President Donald Trump, speaking at the 'Salute to America' celebration on the National Mall on July 4, 2026, claimed that the United States had 'wiped out' the military forces of both Iran and Venezuela. Addressing the crowd on the nation's 250th Independence Day, Trump framed these actions as evidence of America's restored global strength.
Trump's Remarks on Military Success
'You look at Venezuela, you look at Iran -- we wiped it out, wiped out their military,' Trump told the audience. He attributed this military capability to his administration's efforts to rebuild the armed forces during his first term. In a remark that drew attention, Trump jokingly alluded to the current timeframe as his 'third term,' before quickly adding that he would not pursue the topic further to 'avoid controversy.'
'Our rise to being the world's strongest and most powerful nation was no accident of history. We rebuilt our military in my first term. We use it a little bit in our, actually, I should say third term, but I won't do that because I don't want any controversy. But we used it, and we've had tremendous success,' he said.
Historical Perspective and 'Empire of Liberty'
Reflecting on the nation's historical trajectory, Trump lauded the determination of past generations, describing the American journey as the creation of an 'Empire of Liberty.' He recounted the expansion across the continent, noting how Americans 'crossed the Great Plains, scaled the Rockies, and tamed the wilderness to conquer the frontier.' Trump highlighted the physical transformation of the nation, pointing to the development of the railroad system and the construction of 'beautiful' skyscrapers as hallmarks of American ingenuity.
One of the themes of Trump's remarks was the construction of the Panama Canal, which he referred to as the 'eighth wonder of the world.' He argued that this 'unstoppable spirit' was the foundation for the world's most powerful industries and the development of an unmatched military. 'Americans crossed the Great Plains, scaled the Rockies, tamed--we just tamed the wilderness and conquered the frontier and built the empire--it's called the Empire of Liberty. We laid down the railroads, raised up the skyscrapers--those beautiful skyscrapers--and dug out the Panama Canal, considered the eighth wonder of the world, which everyone said was an impossible thing to do. By the way, 38,000 Americans died to give us one of the greatest engineering feats of all time, the Panama Canal. This was the unstoppable spirit that created the world's most powerful industries and built the strongest military anyone had ever seen. And today it is stronger and more powerful than it ever was,' he stated.
Provocative Swipe at Iran
Earlier on Friday, July 3, Trump punctuated his address with a sharp, provocative swipe at Iran, claiming to have given the nation a 'week off' for the funeral ceremony of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Touching on the ongoing tensions in the Middle East during his address marking America's 250th Independence Day at Mount Rushmore, Trump claimed that US pressure had 'broken the spirit' of the Iranian leadership, leaving them 'dying to settle.' He asserted that the US had granted a temporary suspension of hostilities for humanitarian reasons, stating that 'we are nice people.' 'We knocked the hell out of Iran. They're dying to settle. We gave them a week off for a funeral because we're nice people,' Trump told the crowd.
Successes in Venezuela
The President also pointed to successes in Venezuela, stating that his administration's swift actions saw victory over rivals in the Latin American nation. 'We beat Venezuela in one day,' he added, framing these instances as evidence of the US having 'created the strongest and most powerful military' in history.
These remarks come amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, with Trump's statements drawing both support and criticism. The claims regarding Iran and Venezuela have not been independently verified, and the White House has not provided additional details on the specific military operations referenced.
