{"text":[[{"start":8.55,"text":"Donald Trump is set to kick off celebrations for the 250th anniversary of America’s independence with a speech at Mount Rushmore, as storms and a suffocating heatwave hit the nation on the eve of July 4."}],[{"start":22.25,"text":"He will speak in South Dakota at the foot of one of the nation’s most iconic landmarks, beneath towering granite sculptures of four of the US president’s most influential predecessors: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt."}],[{"start":38.7,"text":"The speech is scheduled to be followed by a fireworks display. The National Weather Service on Friday issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the area, which is expected to expire shortly before Trump lands."}],[{"start":51.050000000000004,"text":"While there is no space to add another face, Trump has often mused about adding his likeness to the mountainside, declaring it a “good idea” in social media posts during his first term. In his second term, he has added his name and image to federal buildings and government programmes as well as passports, gold coins and a discount platform for prescription drugs called TrumpRx."}],[{"start":74.35000000000001,"text":"The anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence comes at a moment of sharp political polarisation, as Trump has aggressively sought to wield his executive power to remake the federal government and to expand his use of military force abroad."}],[{"start":89.55000000000001,"text":"As energy prices have soared in the wake of the Iran war and inflation has remained stubbornly high, a recent poll by the Pew Research Center found Americans to have a gloomy outlook on the trajectory of the economy and the country as a whole."}],[{"start":103.15,"text":"In the nation’s capital, the centrepiece of the anniversary celebrations, a record-breaking heatwave threatens to further mute the celebratory mood. The Great American State Fair along the National Mall, which runs from the Capitol building to the Washington Monument, was forced to close temporarily on Friday as temperatures soared into the high 30s Celsius."}],[{"start":124.25,"text":"The fair, which features a 110ft Ferris wheel and pavilions representing every state, has been sparsely attended since it opened last month. "}],[{"start":132.95,"text":"Democrats have accused the president of hijacking the nation’s anniversary after a Trump-backed group wrested control of organising the celebrations from a bipartisan Congressional commission. "}],[{"start":144.6,"text":"On Saturday, the mall will host a Salute to America event which will feature musical performances and flyovers of fighter jets and B1 bombers. "}],[{"start":153.54999999999998,"text":"Trump is expected to deliver remarks on the Mall on Saturday evening. Earlier in the week he promised to give “a really long speech” in spite of the soaring temperatures. “Just to show that I can do anything.”"}],[{"start":166.35,"text":"Organisers have said that free water, cooling tents and additional medical personnel will be available to help visitors manage the heat."}],[{"start":173.75,"text":"The event will be capped with a fireworks display that organisers claim will be the largest in history. Some 850,000 firework shells are expected to be launched from 10 sites spanning the National Mall, the newly renovated Reflecting Pool and barges on the Potomac River."}],[{"start":190.8,"text":"The Freedom 250 organising committee has urged attendees to assess their health before attending, warning that “air quality will decline” as a result of the fireworks show."}],[{"start":209.4,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1783129286_5718.mp3"}