Dwain Northey

Even Mother Nature Wasn’t Buying the Hype

I have to admit, I was mildly amused that Mother Nature herself seemed to become the biggest spoiler in Donald Trump’s attempt to co-opt America’s 250th birthday.

This was supposed to be the celebration of a nation that has somehow survived 250 years of wars, depressions, pandemics, political stupidity, disco, reality television, and Congress.

Instead, it often felt like the celebration had been rebranded as “America: Starring Donald J. Trump.”

Because, apparently, even the birthday of the United States isn’t allowed to be about the United States if Donald is in the room.

Then Mother Nature said, “Hold my cumulonimbus.”

The heat became oppressive. Thunderstorms rolled in. Lightning started popping. People on the National Mall had to scramble for shelter, turning what was supposed to be a triumphant patriotic spectacle into an impromptu evacuation.

And here’s where history decided to show off its sense of humor.

Many attendees took refuge inside the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

You couldn’t write satire this good.

For years we’ve heard endless complaints about museums that dare tell America’s complete story instead of the sanitized, gift-shop version. Yet when the weather turned ugly, one of those very institutions became a sanctuary.

Apparently, when lightning starts flying, the culture wars can wait.

Even Mother Nature seemed to be saying, “Sit down. You’re all getting a history lesson.”

Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t the only storm.

When Donald finally took the stage, what should have been one of those rare moments when a president simply celebrates America became—surprise!—another episode of The Donald Trump Grievance Hour.

Imagine being so breathtakingly self-absorbed that you look at the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States and think, “You know what this really needs? More me.”

Only Donald could take a celebration of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abigail Adams, Benjamin Franklin, the soldiers at Valley Forge, the signers of the Declaration, generations of immigrants, civil rights leaders, scientists, teachers, factory workers, nurses, farmers, and every ordinary American who built this country… and somehow make himself the headline act.

That’s not patriotism.

That’s narcissism wrapped in red, white, and blue bunting.

The Founding Fathers didn’t risk hanging for treason so that 250 years later one politician could treat the nation’s birthday like it was his own campaign rally with better fireworks.

America is an idea.

Donald Trump is a temporary employee.

Those are not remotely the same thing.

The office of the presidency is supposed to elevate the individual. Increasingly, this individual seems determined to lower the office to his own level.

And then there’s the irony that never seems to get old.

For someone who constantly portrays himself as larger than life, the crowd looked…well…surprisingly manageable. Mother Nature literally rained on the parade, and the optics became almost poetic. It’s difficult to proclaim yourself the center of the universe when thousands of people are sprinting toward the nearest museum because lightning has decided your speech can wait.

Nature, it turns out, doesn’t care about polling numbers, social media posts, or gold-plated egos.

The atmosphere is gloriously nonpartisan.

On a much happier note, congratulations to the United States Men’s National Team for defeating Mexico and advancing to the World Cup quarterfinals. Unlike politics, sports occasionally remind us what genuine national pride looks like. Eleven guys wearing the same jersey, playing for the name on the front instead of the ego on the back.

Maybe that’s the lesson.

The 250th anniversary was never supposed to celebrate one man.

It was supposed to celebrate an experiment in self-government that has outlived every president, every political party, every demagogue, every would-be king, and every oversized ego that mistakenly believed the country revolved around them.

America was here before Donald Trump.

America will be here after Donald Trump.

And judging by the weather, even Mother Nature wanted to make that point.