Trump’s ‘ramped up’ rhetoric leaves unifying tone of July Fourth speech in question

[0:11] Welcome to Meet the Press Now. I'm Mel Zanone in Washington where President Trump is preparing to [0:15] escape the scorching D.C. conditions. Traveling to Mount Rushmore to deliver marks as he and the [0:21] nation celebrate the United States' 250th birthday. Today also marking exactly four months to the [0:28] midterms. The president's speech tonight coming a day before he speaks on the National Mall to [0:33] commemorate the 4th of July. And six years to the day after his last visit to Mount Rushmore [0:39] where he delivered a fiery and combative speech during his first term and in the midst of his [0:45] re-election campaign. Those who seek to erase our heritage want Americans to forget our pride and [0:53] our great dignity so that we can no longer understand ourselves or America's destiny. [1:01] In toppling the heroes of 1776, they seek to dissolve the bonds of love and loyalty that we feel for our [1:09] country and that we feel for each other. Their goal is not a better America. Their goal is to end [1:19] America. Here's a live look at the National Mall where President Trump is set to celebrate the 4th [1:29] of July tomorrow with what he's calling a long speech. Events right now, though, on the mall are closed to [1:36] the public due to the extreme heat that's impacting nearly half the country. We'll have more on that in [1:41] a moment. The president's address tomorrow night will be followed by what the Trump administration [1:45] is touting as the world's largest fireworks show. But with the celebration comes continued scrutiny [1:51] that the president is facing over his personal finances. After legally mandated financial [1:57] disclosures this week revealed that he'd earned more than $2 billion last year while present. [2:03] That's more than triple his earnings the previous year and more than half of it through crypto, [2:07] an industry that he and his administration oversee and regulate. The president, [2:12] though, defending his income. Well, you know, I don't do anything [2:16] having to do with my business. My kids run it. I put a lot of money. I had a lot of money and I have [2:21] a lot of money and I've always made I've made money. You know, I'm a business person. I'm a really [2:27] good business person. I let people invest it. I don't even speak to I don't even know who they are. [2:31] But it's given to big firms like that are on your show all the time. My son, Eric, handles it. I don't [2:38] talk to him about things such as this. I think I'd be allowed to. I'm not sure even what the status [2:43] is, but I don't. And he gives it into these like semi blind trusts or blind trusts where people invest. [2:50] NBC News senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez joins me now, along with NBC News [2:56] correspondent Julie Serkin, who's at Mount Rushmore. Thank you both so much for joining us. Gabe, [3:01] let's start with you, though, at the White House, because as I mentioned, the president teased that [3:05] he has a long speech planned for tomorrow on the mall. What else do we know about that speech? [3:11] Well, Mel, the president is touting it as, you know, one of the greatest speeches ever. He's [3:16] planning for a long speech, as you said, something that he teased earlier on this week when he was in [3:22] North Dakota. He said he was going to deliver it at 107 degree temperatures just to prove that he can do [3:27] it. And he's expecting a very large crowd. But I think in terms of what we know for the speech, [3:32] we can expect what we saw just several days ago when he gave another speech to kick off the Great [3:37] American State Fair, a speech that was thrown together at the last minute when several of the acts [3:41] pulled out of the fair. But in that speech, it was notable in the sense that it was so short. It was [3:48] very short campaign style speech where he really touted his administration's achievements over the [3:54] last year of his administration. I was there. It sounded more like a State of the Union speech [4:00] than anything else. But the president touting, of course, that grand fireworks display, [4:05] record-breaking, some 850,000 fireworks expected tomorrow. And also, he is expected to tout, [4:13] you know, these military flyovers that we're expecting tomorrow night, just like we saw several [4:19] days ago when this Great American State Fair kicked off now. [4:22] And, Gabe, the president has attacked Democrats as, quote, godless communists earlier this week. [4:27] Is there any sense about whether he'll try to strike a more unifying tone at an event like [4:31] tomorrow's celebration? [4:33] Well, that remains to be seen. Now, you know, during the speech he gave several days ago to kick off the [4:38] fair, it didn't use that type of language exactly, although he has significantly over the last several [4:45] days ramped up his rhetoric against more progressive Democrats that have won recent primaries in New York [4:52] and in Colorado. So we do expect some of that messaging to come out over the next coming weeks and months [4:57] as his midterm election campaign ramps up. But it remains to be seen whether he will use such strong [5:04] language in the speech tomorrow. Certainly a much wider audience. He has said he wants to celebrate America's [5:10] 250th birthday. But, of course, in these polarizing times, you know, it's really in the eye of the beholder [5:16] what passes for unifying and what doesn't. I mentioned how D.C. could be dealing with triple digit [5:23] temperatures tomorrow. Gabe, are there any concerns about that dangerous heat, either for the president or for [5:28] the crowd that's going to be gathered to hear him? Well, certainly there are a lot of concerns now. And you [5:32] mentioned it in your introduction already. The Great American State Fair has been, you know, they asked visitors [5:38] to leave today until 5 p.m. That's today. Now, the festivities tomorrow. Yes. Same thing. People aren't being [5:44] allowed in until 5 p.m. That's later than expected, of course, with these triple digit temperatures. And [5:50] already today, the D.C. Fire Department has told our station WRC here in D.C. that they've already [5:55] dealt with several medical calls as well. And it's something that they will have to keep an eye on [6:01] tomorrow, especially with so many people expected at these festivities, these record-breaking temperatures [6:07] now add another layer to the planning for this. And certainly there is some concern among emergency [6:13] management officials about what can happen with these temperatures so high. They're urging people, [6:18] of course, to hydrate as they come to the National Mall tomorrow. Yeah, no doubt. I hope you stay cool [6:23] as well tomorrow. Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. I want to turn now to Julie, who is over at Mount Rushmore. [6:28] It looks like it's a little bit cooler, a lot bit cooler for you over there. Certainly a gorgeous [6:33] backdrop. What do we know about Trump's speech tonight that he's planning to make? [6:37] Yeah, I mean, look at this. It's a picture-perfect day here. It is not as hot as it is in D.C. So I'm [6:44] sorry about what you and Gabe are dealing with over there. But there is a drought concern here [6:48] and a concern that there could be a wildfire risk. That's why over the last several decades, [6:54] fireworks here at Mount Rushmore have been few and far between after 2009. But the president [6:59] brought it back in 2020. That's the last time, as you mentioned, we heard from him here. And he's [7:04] going to come here again tonight, marking the nation's 250th birthday with the four presidents [7:08] carved into stone behind him. There's going to be a flyover. The military bands are playing. [7:14] I spoke to some folks who've traveled here, Mel, from far and wide, Ohio and Florida. And they're [7:18] hoping the president strikes a unifying message tonight, a unifying tone. But we do know that this [7:23] event is put on by Freedom 250. It's the public-private partnership that is backed by the president. [7:28] And the events that we've seen put on by that organization versus America 250 have tended to garner a [7:34] more partisan tone when we heard from the president. So we'll see if he manages to strike a unifying one [7:38] tonight. And as we mentioned, during his last visit to Mount Rushmore, he was locked in a heated [7:43] reelection fight. It was in the midst of a global pandemic. Does the Trump administration plan to [7:48] note that 2020 visit tonight? Well, you can expect that he might reference it again. This is a place [7:56] that he loves, Mel. He has a lot of reference for it. He appreciates the monument and what these [8:01] sculptures stand for, the four presidents that they mark as well. And the last time he was here [8:06] in 2020, it was not only COVID, it was the George Floyd protests. There was a lot of pushback to the [8:11] president coming here in the middle of a pandemic. It was also months before he lost his reelection bid [8:15] in 2020, now coming here in a different way. I talked to some of the officers and branches of [8:21] military that are involved here. They've been practicing and planning for this for more than a [8:25] year. We know this also comes on the eve of his remarks tomorrow in Washington, D.C. [8:29] But certainly this is going to be quite a sight tonight with the fireworks behind him and the [8:33] president looking to make some remarks and comments when he arrives here, Mel. [8:36] And we also know he's joked about putting his own face on Mount Rushmore, [8:39] but it looks like it's not there quite yet. Julie Serkin, thank you. [8:43] We thank you for watching. And remember, stay updated on breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app [8:49] or watch live on our YouTube channel.