Trump defended the National Mall event and attacked a judge after a weather delay forced attendees to shelter in place for about three hours, officials said.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump fired off more than 100 Truth Social posts following his rocky "Salute to America 250" celebration on the National Mall, where fireworks erupted just past midnight on Saturday, July 4.
Severe thunderstorms on Saturday forced the evacuation of the National Mall around 7 p.m., causing chaos among hundreds of thousands of attendees who faced barricades and limited shelter before being invited back hours later.
Despite reports that officials recommended cancellation, Trump claimed he "immediately overturned that decision" to save the festivities, a move a senior White House official confirmed, noting the president insisted the speech proceed even at 2 a.m.
Trump praised the explosive display as the "best" ever, while officials touted the show as the largest in U.S. history, launching more than 850,000 pyrotechnics exceeding typical district amounts by more than 80 times.