NOTE: There is some overlap in audio from about 4:14:25 in this video. We apologize for the audio technical issues. Donald Trump heads to Mount Rushmore Friday for an early Independence Day celebration with thousands of guests who won’t be required to wear masks or socially distance, as the president continues an aggressive public schedule despite a spike in U.S. coronavirus cases. Friday’s show will feature a military flyover and the first fireworks in more than a decade at the mountain carved with the visages of four American presidents. Trump intervened at the request of South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to restart an annual tradition that had been halted over environmental and wildfire concerns. “We’ve going to have a tremendous evening,” Trump said Thursday at the White House. “It’s going to be a fireworks display like few people have seen.” The mass gathering — which is expected to include about 7,500 ticketed guests — comes as members of Trump’s coronavirus task force are pleading with Americans to wear masks and practice social distancing. New cases have surged in southern and western states, and U.S. daily infections reached new highs, topping 50,000 for the second consecutive day on Thursday. The president, who spent Friday morning golfing at Trump National Golf Club in Washington’s Virginia suburbs, has maintained his push for states to reopen as quickly as possible. He attributes the rise in cases to expanded testing even though the percentage of positive tests is also increasing. Trump, who faces re-election in
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