Trump Shares Coverage Calling US “Hottest Country” at State Fair Rally

Trump amplifies a news account of his Great American State Fair speech, in which he declares the United States the most respected nation in the world.

First Published: July 13, 2026, 5:23 AM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald Trump amplified news coverage of his Great American State Fair rally, sharing an account in which he called the United States the “hottest country anywhere in the world.” Trump linked to the article by mentioning the source (see usatoday).

The post recirculated reporting on a speech Trump delivered on the National Mall in Washington. The event launched a multi-day celebration ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday. Trump’s remarks echoed familiar themes on gas prices, border policy and national standing, the coverage said.

“Now we are the hottest country anywhere in the world,” Trump said at the start of his speech, according to the shared article. “Nobody’s laughing at us anymore.”

Here is the full post on Truth Social: “Trump touts US as “hottest country” at Great American State Fair rally: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/usa250/2026/06/24/trump-rally-dc-great-american-state-fair–live/90.7 billion/” on July 13, 2026 at 9:07 AM ET.

This is the first message released by Trump today. On average, Trump produces about 17 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025.

The rally opened the Great American State Fair after an earlier plan for a 16-day concert series faltered when musicians began dropping out (see usatoday). Trump then said he would headline the National Mall event himself, adding political weight to the milestone birthday celebrations tied to the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4.

The stakes cut in more than one direction. For Trump, the rally offered a stage to claim credit for lower gas prices and a stronger border, and he predicted fuel would fall to $2.50 following the end of the war in Iran. For critics, the event turned a national anniversary into a partisan showcase, a shift that risks alienating Americans who view the 250th birthday as nonpartisan.

Trump’s claim that the United States is “most respected” runs against outside measures. A Pew Research Center survey published the day before the speech found international sentiment “largely negative,” with a median of 57% of adults across 36 nations holding an unfavorable view of the country (see usatoday). More than three-quarters of those polled expressed “no confidence” in Trump, and global confidence in him stood at 23%.

For the average US reader, the gap between the rally rhetoric and the polling matters most at the pump. Trump tied his $2.50 gas forecast to events abroad, meaning household fuel costs remain hostage to the pace of a distant conflict rather than to a domestic policy lever.

Has Trump touted American strength this way before? He has. Days after the rally, Trump used his Independence Day speech to praise US military power and warn against “communists,” calling communism “like a cancer” that “you got to cut it out fast” (see anews.com.tr). He described the country as “the home of freedom” and “the land of liberty.”

The next measure of these claims will come from voters. November’s midterm elections will test whether Trump’s messaging on the economy and national standing translates into results at the ballot box. A specific date beyond the November contest has not been announced.

Birthday celebrations turned into political theater are not new to Washington. In 1876, the nation marked its centennial with a grand exposition in Philadelphia that drew nearly 10 million visitors over six months, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. President Ulysses S. Grant opened the fair amid scandal that had battered his second term. The fanfare could not shield him, and his party lost the White House months later in the disputed election of 1876.

The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 12 of his 513 posts over the last 30 days focused on “Reposts & External Links.”