America's Big Beautiful Birthday in DC: What really happened?

In spite of all the rhetoric and vitriol and doomerism, the Star Spangled Banner yet waves.

Opinion:

Last night long after the state-sanctioned fireworks had ended, I walked into my back alley and noticed the air was still thick with sulfuric smoke. The constant sound of fireworks echoed off the brick of the townhouses and the tin of the garage doors. I breathed in the hot, swampy haze and came to a realization: after 17 years in Washington, DC this was the most abundant display of celebration that this city had seen.

For a moment, I felt like I was standing next to Francis Scott Key after he emerged from the bowels of a prison ship and watched the bombs bursting above the earthen and stone ramparts of Fort McHenry at the Battle of Baltimore back in 1814. The rockets red glare tinged the night air and I must admit, among the sweat beading on my brow I felt the fresh salt of a tear. Americana, baby! I thought.

I had spent the afternoon on the White House grounds ahead of Trump's signing of the historic BBB, or Big, Beautiful Bill. Somehow, through sheer force of will, The President had managed to bend the entire legislative body to his agenda and was prepared to signed the nearly 1,000 page piece of legislation ahead of the deadline of July Fourth.

I am just a pigeon compared to the loftier and more reputable reporters who were invited to join Trump in the Oval as he inked his signature to sign the BBB into law. But the mere fact that the White House had granted me entry was indicative of the broadened access that the Trump Administration has afforded an offbeat independent like me. I received my White House press pass under the employ of former Force Recon Marine Chad Robichaux, who served eight tours in Afghanistan and is the host of the Resilient Show. I am not asking questions on behalf of a political party or a big corporate media entity, I am there on behalf of veterans like Chad, who fought and bled for our country and deserve a voice among the press corps.

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(Piece continued)

Rather than enjoying the air conditioning of the White House Briefing Room, when the press pool lined up to enter the West Wing I chose to head beyond the grounds and join the anti-Trump protesters and the Trump supporters stationed outside the northern facade of the Presidential Estate.

While wading through dueling chants of "Shame! Shame!" and "U-S-A! U-S-A!" I was perspiring through my navy blue suit and the red Hawaiian shirt I had chosen for the patriotic event. Nothing is more American than dueling protesters and supporters sharing the same street in front of the People's House. Meanwhile, on the other side of the grounds, thousands of active duty troops and veterans enjoyed a picnic on the South Lawn.

A few minutes after 5:00 PM EST, I prepared my GoPro for slow motion footage as I heard the thunderous roar of America's military might. The pixelated profile of a B-2 Bomber flanked by two F-35's approached from the North. The whole mass of contrasting political persuasions turned their eyes to the sky as the planes emerged above the statue of America's first populist, Andrew Jackson and his rearing horse.

The boom of the jet engines drowned out the screams of glee and gloom as they passed overhead. I panned the camera from the cheers and the jeers to the massive flag that construction crews had erected a few weeks ago at the orders of President Trump. The second B-2 flanked by F-22 fighter jets zoomed towards the great phallus of the Washington Monument and the doppler effect drained the sound of propulsion from my ears. The clashing chants returned and the flag before the White House was not just still there, it was bigger and better than it had ever been in the 249-year history of this glorious United States.

I am not a fan of the military industrial complex, but I am a fan of the visceral experience when big, badass planes fly overhead. I do not agree with everything in that Big Beautiful Bill, so cleverly named by our Marketer-in Chief. But my opinion is insignificant compared to the hundreds of millions of Americans who call this country home. They voted for the popularly elected President and, like it or not, one cannot deny that yesterday proved that Trump is doing everything he can to implement what was promised during his third campaign in 2024.

One also cannot deny that July 4th, 2025 will be written about in the history books because the sheer scope of this legislation will alter the future of our country forevermore. In what other country can people who disagree so vociferously share a public space? In what other country do people flock from all corners of the globe to enjoy a small piece of the boundless opportunities afforded by the 50 United States? The answer, of course, is no other country but the U-S of A.

In the wake of this momentous moment in our collective history, let's remember that America is a place that values not only individual opportunity, but also collective compromise. I relay this experience not to promote the current administration or to tear Trump down, but to demonstrate that in spite of all the rhetoric and vitriol and doomerism, the Star Spangled Banner yet waves. From the demonstrators who braved the blaring sun of DC summer to have their voices heard in Lafayette Park, to the night owls who chose to signal their patriotism by blasting fireworks that may or may not have been entirely legal in DC: This is the land of the free, the home not just of the brave, but of whomever is fortunate enough to be a citizen of the greatest country ever devised by mankind.

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