Trump to travel to Mt. Rushmore for July 3 fireworks

President Trump said Friday that he plans to travel to South Dakota to view a fireworks show at Mount Rushmore on July 3 after his administration lifted environmental restrictions that prevented such displays.

“For 20 years or something it hasn’t been allowed for environmental reasons. You believe that one? It’s all stone,” Trump told conservative personality Dan Bongino on his podcast.

“Anyway, I got it approved so I’m going to go there on July 3 and they’re going to have the big fireworks,” he added.

There have not been fireworks at the monument since 2009, but the Department of the Interior performed an environmental assessment that found there would be “no significant impact” if the show proceeded this year.

It will mark Trump’s first trip as president to Mount Rushmore, which has the faces of former presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt carved in stone.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) had been working with the administration since last year to try to bring the fireworks back to the national monument, and the Department of the Interior cleared the display earlier this week.

The state must develop plans to address traffic, emergency response and potential wildfires before moving forward.

Trump is resuming traveling after being holed up in the White House for the past month due to the coronavirus pandemic. He is scheduled to spend the weekend at Camp David, and will travel to Arizona next week.