United States President Donald Trump has claimed the United States paused military pressure on Iran to allow funeral ceremonies for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while warning of a resurgent communist threat at home, speaking at America’s 250th anniversary celebrations on Friday.
Trump delivered the address at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota on the eve of Independence Day, praising the U.S. military and celebrating the country as the oldest republic on earth.
On Iran, Trump told the crowd that U.S. pressure had broken the spirit of the Iranian leadership and that a temporary pause in hostilities had been extended as a gesture of goodwill.
“We knocked the hell out of Iran. They’re dying to settle. They want to settle so badly. We gave them a week off for a funeral because we’re nice,” he said.
The remarks came as Iran held farewell ceremonies for Khamenei, who was killed at the start of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran in February.
Delegations from around 30 countries attended the ceremonies, including representatives from Hamas and Hezbollah.
Iran’s army had earlier warned the United States and Israel against launching attacks during the mourning period.
Trump then turned to domestic political opponents he described as a mortal threat to American liberty.
“There is now a resurgence of the communist menace in our land, including from newcomers to our country who embrace ideas totally opposed to our way of life and our great success,” he said.
“You can be loyal to Karl Marx or you can be loyal to America. You can be a communist or you can be a patriot. You cannot be both.”
Trump did not identify any individuals by name but has in recent days applied the communist label to several Democratic candidates running in the 2026 midterm elections, particularly democratic socialists who won competitive primary races in New York and Colorado.
He closed with a pledge to defeat communism entirely.
“We resolve and swear for all to hear that the Citizens of the United States of America will vanquish Communism from our shores, and send it into exile once and for all. America will never be a Communist country,” he said.
(The Whistler)
