Transcript of Evening Wire: D.C. Goes Big For The 4th of July & The Vatican Excommunicates Hundreds | 7.3.26

Denk an den 31.

Juli!

Wieso?

Last Call für deine Steuer!

Oh no, ich weiß gar nicht, wo ich anfangen soll.

Bei Wieso Steuer? Das ist wie Steuererklärung, nur ohne Stress.

Ist das einfach?

Klar, macht fast alles automatisch.

Dauert das lange?

Nö, einfach per App.

Na dann.

Hol dir jetzt dein Geld zurück mit Wieso Steuer. Bis zum 31.

Juli abgeben.

Called sparklers, and the Vatican excommunicates 4 bishops and hundreds of priests in Switzerland. I'm Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley, back in the glorious U.S. just in time for the Fourth with Georgia Howe. It's Friday, July 3rd. This is Evening Wire. President Trump is at Mount Rushmore today to kick off a weekend of Independence Day celebrations and activities. There'll be a military flyover, and then Trump will give a speech at Mount Rushmore that is slated to start at 6 PM Eastern Time. Afterward, there will be a fireworks show in honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It will be the president's first time back at Mount Rushmore for the Fourth in 6 years.

Fourth of July celebrations in the capital are set to include 7 hours of military flyovers and fireworks. Daily Wire associate producer Brooke Morgado has the details.

Demonstrations are scheduled every hour from 1:15 PM until sunset as part of the city's Freedom 250 celebrations on the National Mall. The displays will accompany a day of large-scale Independence Day programming, including the Salute to America event and remarks from the President. Officials are expecting heavy crowds and are urging visitors to plan for extended security lines, extreme heat, and significant traffic throughout the day. Following the full slate of entertainment, the day will end with fireworks at 10:30 PM. The planned fireworks show is being touted as the largest fireworks display in history and will last approximately 40 minutes.

New York City Mayor Zoran Mondani gave a pre-Independence Day speech of his own this morning. Daily Wire contributor Tim Pearce has the details.

The socialist mayor used this moment to paint the U.S. as greedy and exploitative, but redeemed in part by illegal immigrants. Here's part of Mondani's speech.

As we mark 250 years, what do we see? We see a city of contradictions within a nation of contradictions. We see the wealthiest country in the history of the world, one where children go to sleep hungry while the world's first trillionaire hungers for more. We see masked agents terrorizing our streets, eating food cooked by our undocumented neighbors before spiriting them away in unmarked vans. We see a nation whose immense wealth has been built by those with calloused, dirt-streaked hands, those who toil on factory floors and chisel into stone. And we see a nation that has allowed so much of that wealth to be held instead in the soft hands of a precious few.

Momdani was flanked by recently naturalized immigrants as he rebuked Trump's immigration policy. But the setting also stands out as the socialist mayor chose to offer his vision of the future as the alternative to Trump. Momdani recently scored victories against the Democratic establishment as his favorite candidates toppled incumbents in the U.S. House. Momdani appears ready to use that momentum to raise his profile as he and the Democratic Party's left flank move to take control.

Homeowners in a ritzy neighborhood in California are being threatened by their HOA for flying American flags. Daily Wire producer Justice Buehler has the story.

According to Fox News, residents in San Marcos have battled with their HOA for years. Their latest fight is over whether Old Glory is covered under the HOA's general rules against flying flags. In May of 2023, the HOA, in an email, wrote to one resident stating that the American flag was exempt under the flag ban. But Amy and Christopher Cook were informed this year that they must remove their flag or face consequences. At least one other neighbor has joined the Cooks in the fight. According to Amy, American flags have flown around the neighborhood for decades. Her flag has hung from her garage for 20 years in honor of Christopher's grandfather who died serving in World War II.

In other similar news, a deep blue enclave has asked residents to report illegal sparkler celebrations during America 250. Daily Wire associate producer Garrett Van Thiem has more.

Alexandria, Virginia is asking residents to report, quote, illegal sparkler celebrations during America 250. The city, best known as one of the most liberal towns in America, is calling on residents to snitch on fellow citizens who flout the law by daring to fire up a sparkler. City officials posted on X encouraging residents to notify police of any sparkler sightings. Former Virginia Republican Attorney General Jason Myers responded, calling the move, quote, just flat un-American.

A devout Orthodox Jew invited about a dozen friends to pray in his home. His city required him to get a permit and recruited his neighbors to spy on him. It sounds impossible, but it happened in University Heights, Ohio, to a man named Daniel Grand. That's why Alliance Defending Freedom in Oreck, Harrington, and Sutcliffe are defending Daniel at the US Supreme Court. Alliance Defending Freedom never bills its clients, and right now your gift will be doubled by matching grant while matching funds last. Go to joinadf.com/wire or text WIRE to 83848 to defend the freedom to pray at home. That's joinadf.com/wire or text WIRE to 83848.

The Justice Department urged state attorneys general today to probe oil companies A DOJ letter told prosecutors to, quote, "use all tools available to investigate whether any unlawful conduct may be to blame for high oil prices." Prices have surged in recent months with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran's blockade of the Hormuz Strait. But the DOJ said that those spikes shouldn't be taken at face value. Their letter says, quote, "Past increases in crude oil prices, which are now coming down, do not excuse wrongdoing." The letter comes after Trump attacked oil companies on Truth Social last month, saying that a drop in price at the pump was not commensurate with a drop in the price of oil.

Babies born tomorrow through the end of the year will get a special federal keepsake. Associate producer Wyatt Harms has more.

The Social Security Administration will issue commemorative Social Security cards featuring the America 250 logo to babies born in the United States between July 2nd and December 31st. The limited edition cards will be issued automatically through the normal birth registration process at no additional cost and function the same as standard Social Security cards. The rollout is part of the Trump administration's broader America 250 initiatives celebrating the country's semiquincentennial.

President Trump announced that semiconductor giant Micron will invest $250 million in Trump accounts, the tax-advantaged investment accounts launching July 4th for children under 18 with Social Security numbers. Micron says it will match employee contributions of up to $1,000 per child and deposit $250 into accounts for children in communities where it operates, a program the company says will reach up to 1 million children. The announcement follows a series of high-profile corporate commitments to the program, including a multi-billion-dollar pledge from Dell founders Michael and Susan Dell last year.

Former Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell is still in the hospital after a medical episode last month. His office confirmed the senator's condition on Thursday, though it did not go into detail. His office said in a statement that the 84-year-old senator, quote, continues his recovery in the hospital and continues to improve. He's on track to retire at the end of this term amid ongoing questions about his health. Last month, reports of a first responder dispatched to his home suggested that paramedics were called for an unconscious person who had experienced, quote, cardiac arrest.

The Vatican declared the Society of Saint Pius X in Switzerland a schism yesterday, meaning it formally considers the traditionalist group separated from the Catholic Church. This comes after the SSPX consecrated 4 bishops without Pope Leo's approval. Rome excommunicated the new bishops, the clergy who ordained them, and roughly 750 SSPX priests, barring them from full participation in church life, while warning that committed followers could face the same penalty. The group defied a last-minute appeal from Pope Leo when they held the ceremony before an estimated 15,500 supporters in Switzerland.

All right, those are your drive home updates. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com. And in case you missed it earlier today, we covered some major stories, including the June jobs report giving economists a lot to chew on, the White House pushing ICE to turbocharge arrests of illegal immigrants, and President Trump announcing an unprecedented midterm convention. Thanks for tuning in and have a fantastic Independence Day. We'll be back for a special Fourth of July episode tomorrow morning.