Overview
- Homeland Security designated the July 4 festivities a National Special Security Event, which makes the U.S. Secret Service the lead for security operations.
- Organizers plan more than 30 minutes of nonstop pyrotechnics and aim to surpass the 2016 world record of 810,904 fireworks.
- Pyrotecnico, the contractor hired for the show, confirmed the bid to break the record, saying, “We are shooting to break the record.”
- President Trump is slated to speak on the National Mall, and organizers expect more than one million people to attend.
- Freedom 250 has not disclosed the total cost or whether taxpayer money will help fund the event, while D.C. police report no specific credible threat but a heightened posture with federal partners.