The District of Columbia’s July 4 celebration will look a little different this year, with metal detectors and photo IDs required for entry and a widespread shutdown of the National Mall.
These changes, first reported by NOTUS, are part of the Department of Homeland Security’s massive security overhaul of the event, which will feature what President Donald Trump has promised will be the “largest fireworks show in history.”
In May, DHS designated the July 4 celebration as a National Special Security Event, or NSSE, a first-ever distinction for an event the White House expects to draw in “more than a million people” to celebrate the nation’s 250 anniversary.
An NSSE designation requires the highest security procedures, meaning the Secret Service will be in charge of the operation — the agency’s first time leading security operations in this capacity for a Mall fireworks display. This protocol allows authorities to deploy a wide range of law-enforcement and national-security resources, and is typically used for high-profile events such as presidential inaugurations, the State of the Union address and party conventions.
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The most notable change will be a “no exceptions” policy requiring guests to bring government-issued IDs and pass through security screening before entering the venue, according to Freedom 250, an organization created by the president to organize the nation’s 250th anniversary plans — separate from America250, a commission funded by Congress.
The National Mall will be closed off to general vehicle traffic, and road closures are expected to divide the area into three security zones with varying levels of security.
Guests will be expected to join the “entry queue” by approaching the site via Constitution Avenue NW or Independence Avenue SW near 14th Street before going through magnetometers.
Freedom 250 initially said all guests will have to follow a clear-bag policy, and folding chairs, backpacks and coolers will be prohibited — in accordance with the Secret Service’s list of prohibited items. Event organizers later restricted additional items like balls, frisbees, bullhorns and noise makers.
For past Fourth of July events, attendees generally did not have to go through airport-like security checks to watch from the National Mall. Trump has rebranded this year’s event as a “rally” in his and the nation’s honor, though many of the safety changes were already in place before he announced the change.
“We are going to host the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all, a ‘TRIBUTE TO AMERICA,’” the president wrote Monday on Truth Social.
The Secret Service has handled many high-level operations this summer, including last Sunday’s UFC fight on the White House lawn and the FIFA World Cup, which the service is helping to secure in 11 cities.
But the wider security push comes on the heels of several recent safety incidents involving the president, whose plans to speak at the celebration will require additional security adjustments like stage positioning. Matthew Quinn, the Secret Service deputy director, said last week that the agency’s threat cases are up 40% this year.
Federal authorities said last Tuesday that they had disrupted an alleged plot to use drones, explosives and snipers to kill politicians and other attendees at the UFC fight. Several days before the event, authorities arrested five people after they discussed flying explosive-laden drones over the grounds and shooting into the crowd, according to court documents. Justice Department officials announced Monday that two more people had been arrested in connection with the alleged plot.
Trump also faced an alleged assassination attempt in April during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
The Independence Day celebration is expected to feature multiple flyovers, including flybys by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. The Federal Aviation Administration announced a ground stop on flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport starting at 12 p.m. on July 4, with additional stoppages expected for other events throughout the summer.
“The skies above the National Mall will come alive with some of the most breathtaking displays of American airpower ever assembled,” Freedom 250 wrote in the release.
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