By Andy Sullivan
WASHINGTON, July 4 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump marks the country's 250th anniversary on Saturday with a political rally on a fenced-off National Mall in Washington, capping a weeks-long celebration that has been widely criticized as divisive.
Across the U.S., Americans plan to celebrate the patriotic holiday with fireworks and parades. Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence from Britain was signed on July 4, 1776, will offer free cupcakes and a six-hour pop-music concert, while New York will feature tall ships from around the world.
In the nation's capital, Trump will place himself at the center of the celebration.
The president has billed his evening appearance among the city's iconic monuments as "the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all," accompanied by military flyovers and a super-sized fireworks display.
Washington's annual July 4 celebration typically draws hundreds of thousands of people. Visitors this year must contend with stepped-up security, possible thunderstorms and temperatures that could top 100F (38C).
Groups coming to Washington on Saturday included the white nationalist organization Patriot Front. The group posted on social media that it had arrived in the capital, and Reuters photographers saw hundreds of people dressed in Patriot Front outfits traveling on D.C. metro trains.
The organization, founded in 2017, is known for its aesthetics and heavily organized flash-mob style demonstrations.
Past U.S. presidents have steered clear of the celebration, but Trump has blurred the line between official commemoration and campaign-style politics.
A nonpartisan body set up in 2016 to handle the 250th anniversary has been largely sidelined by the Trump administration's Freedom 250 group, which has fenced off much of the 1.5-mile National Mall for a "Great American State Fair" featuring attractions such as a Ferris wheel alongside displays by conservative groups and defense contractors.
Several Democratic-led states declined to send delegations, and many performers who had been scheduled to appear dropped out, citing concerns about partisanship. Thousands were on hand for Trump's kickoff rally on June 24 but since then crowd sizes at the event have sometimes been modest.
Other activities with Freedom 250 branding include a faith rally featuring mostly conservative Christian speakers, and multiple sports events, including a card of mixed martial arts bouts on the White House grounds for Trump's 80th birthday. An IndyCar race in Washington is scheduled for August.
The Freedom 250 organization also sponsored "Freedom Trucks" that critics say paint an overly religious version of American history and gloss over issues such as slavery and racial injustice.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that a majority of Americans, including three-quarters of Democrats and half of Republicans, think the events celebrating the country's 250th anniversary have grown too political.
Trump has sought to remake wide swaths of the capital city ahead of the 250th celebration, with mixed results. Many fountains and statues have been renovated, but problems have beset a much-touted $15 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial's Reflecting Pool and security cameras and soldiers now stand watch over its peeling paint and algae-fouled waters.
(Reporting by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Sergio Non, Alistair Bell and David Gregorio)
