Trump Says He Wasn’t Treated Well

President Donald Trump used his Fourth of July address on the National Mall to celebrate America’s founding principles while revisiting one of his most frequent criticisms of the U.S. justice system, telling supporters he believes he was not treated fairly during the legal battles that surrounded his return to the White House.

Speaking before thousands gathered for the annual “Salute to America” celebration in Washington, D.C., Trump praised the U.S. Constitution as “the most righteous political document ever conceived” before pointing to what he described as unequal treatment under the law.

“Unlike so many others in the world, in this country we have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, equal justice under the law,” Trump said. “Although I wasn’t treated that well, but we won’t get into that.”

The remark drew applause from supporters and echoed Trump’s long-standing argument that the criminal and civil cases brought against him were politically motivated rather than based solely on the facts of the cases.

Trump Reaffirms Support for the Constitution and Second Amendment

Trump spent much of his Independence Day speech highlighting constitutional freedoms, emphasizing free speech, religious liberty, and the right to keep and bear arms.

He also renewed his commitment to defending the Second Amendment, a message that has remained central to his political platform.

“For almost six years that I was president, I guarded very, very powerfully your Second Amendment,” Trump told the crowd.

The president framed his administration as one focused on protecting constitutional rights while strengthening national security and restoring what he described as traditional American values.

Trump Continues Appeal of New York Conviction

Before returning to the White House, Trump faced several high-profile legal cases involving allegations related to the 2020 election, classified documents, and business records.

Most of those cases were later dismissed or closed. However, the New York business records case resulted in Trump being convicted on 34 felony counts connected to business records tied to payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.

Trump has consistently denied wrongdoing and is appealing the conviction.

Last month, he wrote on Truth Social that he is “an innocent man who has been horribly treated” and called for the conviction to be overturned while urging prosecutors involved in the case to face legal consequences.

Trump and many of his supporters have argued that the prosecutions reflected a broader effort to interfere with his political career, while prosecutors have maintained that the cases were handled according to the law.

Trump Jokes About a “Third Term”

During another lighthearted moment in the speech, Trump joked that he was serving a “third term” while discussing his administration’s military accomplishments.

“We rebuilt our military in my first term,” Trump said. “We used it a little bit in our—actually, I should say third term, but I won’t do that because I don’t want any controversy.”

The audience laughed as Trump made the remark, which appeared to reference his repeated claims that the 2020 presidential election was unfairly decided.

He then pointed to recent U.S. military operations involving Iran and Venezuela, saying his administration had demonstrated American strength on the world stage.

Weather Delay Gives Way to Packed Fourth of July Celebration

Trump’s address served as the featured speech during the annual “Salute to America” celebration on the National Mall.

Earlier in the evening, severe thunderstorms prompted officials to temporarily evacuate portions of the Great American State Fair as a precaution. Once the weather threat passed, attendees returned to the National Mall, where large crowds gathered for Trump’s speech before remaining for the Independence Day fireworks display.

Despite the brief weather interruption, the celebration continued with thousands of Americans filling the area to mark the nation’s birthday.

Trump Highlights Election Security Priorities

In addition to celebrating Independence Day, Trump used the nationally televised speech to promote several priorities of his second administration.

Among them was renewed support for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, legislation that would require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections and require voters to present photo identification before casting a ballot.

Supporters argue the proposal would strengthen election integrity and help prevent unlawful voting, while critics contend it could make voter registration more difficult for some eligible Americans.

Election security has remained one of Trump’s signature issues since returning to office.

President Warns Against Democratic Socialism

Trump concluded part of his remarks by criticizing the growing influence of democratic socialist candidates within the Democratic Party.

Without naming individual politicians, he argued that socialist policies pose a serious threat to America’s future and warned that they should be rejected before gaining broader influence.

“It’s like a cancer,” Trump said. “You’ve got to cut it out, you’ve got to cut it out fast.”

The comments reflected a broader theme of Trump’s speech, which focused on preserving constitutional freedoms, strengthening national defense, protecting election integrity, and resisting what he characterized as a shift toward more radical left-wing policies.

As the 2026 midterm elections approach, Trump’s Independence Day address reinforced the issues expected to remain at the center of his administration’s message, including constitutional rights, public safety, election security, and what he describes as restoring equal justice under the law.