**The Christian Nationalist version of history was on full display at Trump's 250th Anniversary in D.C.**

[EDWIN EISENDRATH](https://substack.com/@eisendrath) AND [LAURA JEDEED](https://substack.com/@laurajedeed)

JUL 12, 2026

Throughout the week, we’ve dealt with the aftermath of Trump’s 250th Anniversary Celebration chaos, from the calls for evacuation as a severe storms rolled in prior to the festivities to the smoke show that was supposed to be a massive fireworks display. But what was it really like on the ground?

Freelance journalist and [*Firewalled Media*](https://www.firewalledmedia.com/)writer Laura Jedeed joins Edwin Eisendrath on *It’s The Democracy, Stupid* to share her firsthand reporting of the event’s calamity, political messaging, and frustrated crowds, while drawing on her experience as a veteran to examine the use of military symbolism to advance Trump’s political agenda.  
Edwin and Laura also explore growing divisions within the Republican Party and what they could mean for its future.

Reporting on Trump's 250th Debacle in Real Time | It's the Democracy, Stupid with Firewalled Media's Laura Jedeed & Edwin Eisendrath