This is a rush transcript from "The Ingraham Angle," July 3, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
RAYMOND ARROYO, FOX NEWS HOST: Jason, great job. Happy 4th of July.
I'm Raymond Arroyo in for Laura Ingraham tonight, and this is The Ingraham Angle. What a night! You're looking at live coverage of the iconic Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, the backdrop for a Presidential address in moments.
We're delighted that you joined us for this independence celebration. For the first time in 10 years, we're going to see a spectacular fireworks demonstration from Mount Rushmore. President Trump arrived moments ago. We will bring you his speech live as it happens.
But first, we go to Fox's Jonathan Hunt at Mount Rushmore on the scene. Jonathan, what are you seeing?
JONATHAN HUNT, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Raymond, it has already been an extraordinary night here at Mount Rushmore. The crowd has loved every moment of this. Just a couple of hours ago, we saw Air Force One fly over Mount Rushmore, a quite breathtaking sight. About 45 minutes later, Marine One, the Presidential helicopter, flew past. Again, an extraordinary reaction from a crowd that is obviously overwhelmingly pro-Trump.
I can't tell you, Raymond, I have not seen one Biden 2020 T-shirt among the thousands who are attending here. You may be able to hear the chant behind me now of "USA, USA." They have just been told that the program will start.
That will include speeches by the Secretary of the Interior and the Governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem. She, of course, has said that there would be no need for social distancing here and no need for masks, although they are available if they want them. I can tell you, probably only about 10 percent of this crowd is wearing a mask, and there is certainly no effort at social distancing that we have seen.
There is also politics in play, not just over masks and social distancing. We saw protests on the road approaching Mount Rushmore earlier today. They were anti-Trump protesters, joined by members of the Lakota Sioux tribe, who of course say that this land belongs to them and should be returned to them.
The National Guard met those protesters, around two dozen members of the National Guard clashing with the protesters. Pepper spray, we understand, was used at some point. We're in something of a security bubble here, Raymond. So I can't tell you whether those clashes are ongoing on the road outside Mount Rushmore. It means little, though, to the folks now waiting for the President to arrive here and waiting for him to deliver, by the way, what we believe will be a fiery speech.
The President is going to say, as we understand it, that our nation is witnessing what he calls a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children. And he will go on to say that these protesters that we have seen attacking statues and monuments around the country will tear down the beliefs, culture and identity that have made America the most vibrant and tolerant society in the history of the earth.
So, a fiery speech from the President that we'll hear in a short time, and then after that, we'll get the real fireworks over Mount Rushmore. It is going to be a very, very spectacular night. Raymond?
ARROYO: Thank you for that, Jonathan. We will check in with you later, and of course, we await the Presidential remarks.
But first, one nation divisible? I want to get into this, as we await the President's comments at Mount Rushmore. This moment could not be more important. Across the American culture, there are those determined to topple our shared history and highlight the most painful and difficult moments of our past in order to divide us.
This mob, whether it's antifa or "Black Lives Matter", disgruntled millennials escaping lockdown, or elites accomplishing on the street what they couldn't at the ballot box, they're all children of this man, Howard Zinn.
Now, Zinn was a radical activist and political science professor with a soft spot for Stalin and Mao. In 1980, he authored a book, "A People's History of the United States." It's essentially an irreverent tendentious manifesto of anti-American hate, which re-tells the American story as one founded in sin and mired in hate.
To Zinn, America is a wicked place that needs to come down. His book has been standard reading at universities for decades. Now we have Zinn's successor, "The New York Times" "1619 Project." This is another revisionist American story, a history, purportedly, that claims the country began when slavery came to our shores. Forget those evil founding fathers who envisioned the republic and sacrificed to create it. Those slaves are the true American founders in the "1619" perception. Washington, Jefferson, Adams, they're to be despised. "1619" is now part of a curriculum in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Buffalo schools, with more coming online every day.
These are the radical ideas and warped histories that are slipped into the hearts of the young. It explains the random chaos, the destruction we've been witnessing in our streets. If you believe America is an evil place founded on sin, it's got to end. Now everything is on the chopping block, even Mount Rushmore.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) NICK TILSEN, PRESIDENT & CEO, NDN COLLECTIVE: We have to return the land, this stolen land, back to the indigenous people. Mount Rushmore is really a national symbol - symbolism - a symbol of white supremacy.
SIMON MOYA-SMITH, LAKOTA TRIBESMAN: And they have four white guys carved right into the mountain, one of them being Abraham Lincoln, who still holds the record for hanging the most indigenous people in a single day.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ARROYO: Now, that Lakota tribesman is referring to the 1862 hanging of 38 Sioux Indians. The background is this. More than 300 Santee Sioux were found guilty of rating and murdering white settlers. They were actually reacting to horrible government mistreatment at their reservations.
Lincoln, recognizing that, commuted the death sentences of all but 38 of those Indians. Now, given the times, given his sensitivity to the plight of the Sioux, should Lincoln's memory be canceled all these years later, or should we wrestle with the complex history and learn from it and the failings and the glories of that time, that moment.
And it's not just monuments. Sports is the latest battleground in this culture war - one of the last remaining neutral zones in American life. Now corporate sponsors are pressuring the Washington Redskins to change their name. Nike has pulled Redskin gear off their website, and the team announced today they are considering a name change.
Even though a 2016 "Washington Post" found that nine in 10 Native Americans say they are not offended by the Washington Redskins name. The NFL is announcing that before the national anthem - get this - lift every voice and sing - what they call the black national anthem will be sung at every Week 1 game. They're also deciding whether players will be allowed to wear the names of victims of police violence on their jerseys.
Over at the NBA, there are plans afoot to paint the words "Black Lives Matter" on courtsides, similar to what we've seen in the streets of D.C. At least one commentator, former NFL All-Pro, Marcellus Wiley, wasn't sold on the idea.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MARCELLUS WILEY, FORMER NFL ALL-PRO: There's a problem with when you start to go down this road of the freedom of expression, freedom of speech and how much social space is allowed for those who don't support in that same space.
We know what identity politics does. It divides and it polarizes. I don't know how many people really look into the mission statement of "Black Lives Matter." Being a father and a husband, that's my mission in life right now.
How do I reconcile that, what I just told you, with this mission statement that says, quote, "We dismantle the patriarchal practice?" We disrupt the western prescribed nuclear family structure requirement." So I understand. I respect your space. I respect what you're protesting for. But will you respect others who don't support that same protest?
(END VIDEO CLIP) ARROYO: Freedom of thought, freedom of expression, the freedom to disagree, and our history must be protected at all costs. America is not a collection of separatist movements. We are founded as one fractious, diverse, but united people.
The President's appearance at Mount Rushmore tonight is an important one. It couldn't come at a more important moment. It is at once a challenge to the lockdown mentality as well as a stand against the cancel culture and those who seek to rip us apart over our differences.
As we participate in this patriotic event tonight together, as one people, we face a choice as Americans. We will either make a decision to be one nation under God, indivisible, or a nation driven (ph) by grievance, race and resentment of our brothers and sisters. I hope we make the right choice this July 4th and embrace our better angels.
Joining me now is Sara Carter, Fox News Contributor and host of "The Sara Carter Show" podcast; Bill McGurn, Fox News Contributor and former Chief Speechwriter for George W. Bush; and Victor Davis Hanson, Hoover Institution Senior Fellow. Thank you all for being here.
Sara, I want to start with you, as we await the start of President Trump's arrival here at Mount Rushmore. What does the President have to accomplish here tonight in your opinion?
SARA CARTER, "THE SARA CARTER SHOW" PODCAST HOST & FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Unity. He needs to really bring the nation together, and he needs to deliver this fiery speech so that people understand that we are a nation built on fundamental principles, not of division, not of divisiveness, but of unity, a republic that's built on freedom, independence, and liberty. I mean - and equality.
And when we talk about this, Raymond, when we think about what's happened over the last month, when we think about the protests, when we think about the division, when we think about the angst that so many people feel, all we have to do is look back in our history and say, yes, of course, nobody is perfect. No nation is perfect. Every nation, every person is mired with something.
But those fundamental principles - those fundamental principles that he will be talking about is what moves us forward. It's what made our nation so great. And it's what makes us a beacon of light for the rest of the world.
ARROYO: Yes.
CARTER: And it's why so many people have come here, have come here looking for that freedom and liberty.
ARROYO: Bill McGurn, these protests and the rioting seem to question the very legitimacy of the American experiment. What is at stake this July 4th for us?
BILL MCGURN, CHIEF SPEECHWRITER, GEORGE W. BUSH & FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, they don't seem to question the legitimacy. They do question the legitimacy. Look, a lot of this is just about disruption and offending people's sensibilities, to ruin it for other people.
The President has a fairly traditional understanding of patriotism. He likes military parades. He likes the fireworks. He likes all that stuff. I think the most important thing he does is just to not let people keep them in a corner and show up. I don't hold much prospect for unity, no matter what he says, because at this point, it's so polarized. And part of the polarization is between people whom, as you mentioned, between Howard Zinn and "The 1619 Project", they believe America is not just founded with slavery, as though that's just a date, but corrupted - a secular version of original sin that we're still-- ARROYO: Right.
MCGURN: --we're still suffering. I mean, look at what - everything is racist today. The White House is racist because the salves helped build it. Betsy Ross and her flag are racist. I mean, everything is racist. And a lot of people just say, oh, that's ridiculous. But it makes a certain perverse sense if you start from the premise like "The 1619 Project" do, that we're just - we were conceived in sin and we're still affected by it.
ARROYO: But it was clear, Bill, there was a disconnect between the founders - deep disagreements. I mean, John Adams--
MCGURN: Right.
ARROYO: --and Thomas Jefferson were on opposite sides of the slavery question. One deeply committed to the freedom of all people; the other though intellectually agreeing to the concept, lived a very different life on his plantation at Mount - not Mount Vernon - Monticello.
Victor, speak to the red-blue state division here. What's the historical precedent that you see?
VICTOR DAVIS HANSON, SENIOR FELLOW, HOOVER INSTITUTION: This is July 4th. And Abraham Lincoln in 1861, right, when the Civil War was unfolding, he called for unity, but he knew that people - yes.
ARROYO: I just want the audience to know - Victor, hold on - President Trump and Melania Trump taking the stage at the amphitheater here at Mount Vernon. You see them greeting the thousands assembled here at Mount Rushmore. Sorry about that. I keep defaulting to Mount Vernon, the other great historical site.
President Trump, this is, of course, that he relish. This was planned long before the protests, the pulling down of statues, all of this that we saw. This is the national anthem. We'll let you listen in.
(MUSIC)
ARROYO: As Bill McGurn was saying, the President loves and relishes these moments. You saw the joy on his face as that flyover happened above Mount Rushmore. And for everyone who's been here, this is such a stunning place. It is - it looks like a postcard come to life before you. And you see this crowd and the President obviously enjoying this moment, which is both - I think he's trying to reinforce the history, the glory, the majesty of America while bringing Americans together around our shared history.
Victor Davis Hanson, I cut you off - I'm sorry - earlier. You were talking about the red state, blue state divide and the historical precedent. Tell us what you. Continue your thought.
HANSON: Lincoln - in 1861, Lincoln gave a 4th of July letter and addressed to Congress, and it was as divisive - much more divisive than it is now. He wanted unity, but it's very hard to have unity when a small proportion of the states don't want unity. So what Lincoln did is, he said, basically, I have bent over backwards, I'm going to protect federal property, I don't want you to do what you're doing, when he addressed people who were against unity in the union. But he reassured the others that he was going to be firm.
And so - I think Donald Trump has got to say, we have 244 links in this chain, years. And our generation is not going to be the first one to break it, I'm sorry. People died in Okinawa, they died at Gettysburg, they died at Charlotte (ph). We have an obligation to them to carry on that spirit.
And I'm not going to preside over the first generation that says we're going to tear down statues, we're going to rename on the demands of the mob, we're going to cancel people's lives out with McCarthyite tactics. So he can be unifying, but he has to be unifying by restoration and by saying that we are a great nation.
And just as Lincoln did, he warned the confederacy. I want to be part of you, but if you don't want to be part of me, it's not a very wise decision on your part, because we have blue state mayors and governors who deliberately did not enforce the law. We have corporate CEOs, we have retired generals, we have university presidents who know better. But either out of weakness or timidity or fear, they're allowing people to change our customs, our traditions, our icons, and our reference.
And somebody has to say, we're not going to do that, we don't want to offend you, we don't want to go to war with you, but we're not going to let you, a minority, dictate to a majority that's trying to keep a wonderful nation, the only multiracial democracy that's ever worked in the last 244 years.
ARROYO: I want to share this with you all. A Sioux tribe leader, Julian Bear Runner, says the President doesn't have permission from Mount Rushmore's original sovereign owners to be here tonight. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JULIAN BEAR RUNNER, PRESIDENT, OGLALA SIOUX TRIBE: I sent out a letter today to Mr. Trump, advising him and then stating reasons why he is not permitted to enter the treaty territory at this time.
It's very hard to remain diplomatic in times like this due to the lack of consultation. It's not just a threat to my people, but it's a threat to the land and it's a threat to mankind in general - to human life.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ARROYO: Bill, your reaction to that.
MCGURN: Yes, look. We have a lot of disputed claims and history. Are we supposed to give Manhattan back? I think there's a lot of different ways to work out at combinations (ph). But I think it's wrong to just go through history and try to re-correct events of hundreds of years ago or decades ago. I think this just - it just leads to bad will between Americans.
And I think - look, I think a lot of this is just people, again, just want to disrupt and make it unpleasant for other people. I don't think there's any higher goal in a lot of ways. Does anyone believe Mount Rushmore is going to be taken down maybe in 10 years? I didn't believe we'd have what we're seeing now. But--
ARROYO: Right.
MCGURN: --I don't think anyone believes that's going to happen.
ARROYO: Well, that certainly calls for it.
And Sara, this is part of what is hastening, I think, this tear-down culture. "CNN" today is framing this event in front of Mount Rushmore as racist. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kicking off the Independence Day weekend, President Trump will be at Mount Rushmore, where he'll be standing in front of a monument of two slave owners and on land wrestled away from Native Americans, told that he'd be focusing on the effort to, quote, "tear down our country's history."
(END VIDEO CLIP) ARROYO: Sara--
CARTER: He didn't say that.
ARROYO: --is that what you see when you look at Mount Rushmore? Do you think that's what most Americans see when they watch this event?
CARTER: Oh, no. Oh, no. Most Americans don't think that at all. And CNN didn't say that when Bernie Sanders visited Mount Rushmore, when President Obama visited Mount Rushmore. You didn't see them coming out and say this. It's the same kind of news that they delivered when the President was talking about hydroxychloroquine.
And now CNN writes a story, saying, oh, well, there is the study, you know, and it found out that it is helping people who are sick. So they tried to bury that early this morning. This all has to do with President Trump and targeting President Trump.
But I want to make a point here, and I want to go off of what Victor David Hanson said earlier. And I think it's very important that although he is fighting for unity, he's also going to lay down the law. But it's also up to every American.
This is about a group of people, a minority group of people that are trying to cancel America. But it's up to the silent majority to stand up and say no, we are going to stand alongside our President, we are going to stand alongside our government, and we are going to speak out, we are not going to cancel our great nation, we are going to get better, we are going to learn from our past, and we are going to move forward.
And if President Trump can deliver that speech tonight, that fiery speech, and bring people together and really show people - because Americans are smart. They're not going to fall for this. This is going to last only so long and the American people are going to pull together like they always have, in World War II, in World War I, when we were hit on September 11th. What happened to that unity? And what happened to us?
ARROYO: Thank you, Sara, for that.
Panel, stay with me.
You are watching live coverage of President Trump at Mount Rushmore. Mary Hart, who's the MC of the evening - you'll remember her from "Entertainment Tonight." She's speaking now. We're going to dip in and let you listen to a little of this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MARY HART, MASTER OF CEREMONIES, JULY 4TH EVENT AT MOUNT RUSHMORE: --Dusty Johnson seated over here. Congressman Jason Smith, Congressman Markwayne Mullin, as well as Congressman Adrian Smith.
Welcome to you all. It is so incredibly great to be back in my home state of South Dakota. And it started this simply a few weeks ago. It was a test. Isn't that the way all of our important events occur in our lives these days? "Did you get my voice mail, Mary?" - Christy (ph). I texted back. "No. When did you leave it?"
Next second, the phone rings. It's Governor Noem, saying, "Hey, Mary, I have a favor to ask of you. Would you consider?" And when she explained this glorious night and the plans, I said, "Are you kidding? I would be so honored, so happy."
And let me just tell you that I am incredibly proud to have all of you, who are first-timers here, and I know there are people from all over the country visiting because I've talked to a few of you today. And we're so happy, whether it's New Hampshire or Delaware, wherever you came from, you had a track. But I know you're happy to be in this great state.
I have a long association with Mount Rushmore, and it's making me mad that those guys up there in granite aren't aging because - yes - as a young kid, I was here with my family, and then, as Miss South Dakota, and I - I--
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
HART: Thank you. You know what? I woke up at 3:00 a.m. about a week-and-a- half ago and I went, do I dare mention that? But yes, because it's important to me. I am so proud of this state and the values that I was raised with here in South Dakota. But I was here as Miss South Dakota in 1970, and the heart attack started when I went, that is 15 year ago--
(END VIDEO CLIP) ARROYO: We will continue monitoring this wonderful event, a patriotic display, fireworks coming, and of course, rhetorical fireworks coming from the President of the United States, speaking to the crisis at hand in the country and the attack on American history.
On this eve of Independence Day, I have some grim news. "The New York Times" reports, "As many as 80 percent of community fireworks displays in large cities and small rural towns have been canceled this year over fear that they would create a social-distancing nightmare." All due to COVID fears. But not all fireworks displays have been canceled.
My next guest is the pyrotician (ph) behind tonight's show at Mount Rushmore. And for 36 years, he's done this in a row. He will produce the Macy's fireworks spectacular in New York City tomorrow night.
Joining me now from Mount Rushmore is James Souza. He's owner of Pyro Spectaculars.
James, take us behind-the-scenes for tonight. How big an undertaking is this event? And how did you and your crew prepare for this?
JAMES SOUZA, PYRO SPECTACULARS OF SOUZA: Well, first, I'm just really proud to be here tonight to light the candle on America's birthday cake and kick it off here at beautiful Mount Rushmore. My crew, my family - I'm a fifth generation fireworks family - we've been working on this show for months. We have 20 people working on this. We have a ton of explosives, 10,000 pounds of equipment that we had to rig and get it up on top of the mountain. It's going to be a wonderful show here. It's going to last 18 minutes. It's called the "Spirit of America."
ARROYO: I love it. And this is the first time we're seeing fireworks in a decade here at Mount Rushmore. I need to show you this. Across the media, they've been talking about the danger of these fireworks tonight. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You've got to worry about fires. And I gather it's been a pretty dry area.
RANDY SEILER, DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR SOUTH DAKOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL: The susceptibility of that area around Mount Rushmore to wildfires is it's highly flammable.
CAL PERRY, NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT: You take into account the possibility of a forest fire--
JOE LOWE, FORMER SOUTH DAKOTA WILDLAND FIRE CHIEF: If you launch fireworks over a dry fuel bed with high temps, steep slopes, you have a potential for large fire.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ARROYO: Former fire management officers say your fireworks, James, near this dry forest presents a fire hazard. How are you ensuring that it doesn't? And are you concerned at all?
SOUZA: Well, I'm always concerned, but I also take great precautions, and that's why - that's why they hired us to do this. We've taken great precautions. The fireworks that we're going to see tonight are going to be launched from seven different locations, on the ridge, down the canyon, behind mount - behind George Washington. All of these products are designed specifically for this location. They have either no debris or low debris. We've done a lot of testing to eliminate fallout, to be environmentally safe. And this is wonderful.
ARROYO: Excellent. James Souza, thank you for being here. We cannot wait to see this display in moments.
And you all stay there. Those fireworks are going to be amazing.
Speaking of fireworks, the media's COVID fearmongering has blown up over the last week. After defending mass protests, they're now claiming tonight's Mount Rushmore event could be a super-spreader.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CRAIG MELVIN, MSNBC HOST: Here we are in the middle of a global pandemic, and there's another event where the President is encouraging a large gathering.
ARI MELBER, MSNBC HOST: Major concerns over Donald Trump now plowing ahead with another in-person event that will break his own administration's guidelines.
WILLIAM HASELTINE, FORMER PROFESSOR AT HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL: People will be crowding together. That is unsafe. People will be breathing close to each other. That is unsafe.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ARROYO: Joining me now is Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, who specializes in family and emergency medicine; and Dr. Manny Alvarez, Senior Managing Editor of Fox News Health. Both are Fox News contributors.
Dr. Nesheiwat, given no requirement tonight for social distancing at Mount Rushmore and optional masks, is this event safe?
DR. JANETTE NESHEIWAT, FAMILY & EMERGENCY MEDICINE & FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: I think this is a lot safer because it's outdoors. And that makes a huge difference. I can tell you, Raymond, firsthand, being a physician on the frontlines here in New York City, taking care of coronavirus patients, three, four months ago, a majority of my patients had coronavirus.
But now, rewinding a little bit, I had lots of protesters here in New York City, lots of George Floyd protesters, thousands of them. They were out in the streets for two to three weeks. And I was expecting to see an uptick in the number of cases. I did not. I did not see an uptick in COVID patients because of the protests here in New York.
What I did see was a lot of trauma patients, abrasions, fractures, those sorts of things. But we did not see an uptick in cases. And I think it's because, number one, it's outdoors; number two, there's a recent study that just came out that showed about 34 minutes of sunlight deactivated the virus. And on top of that, maybe the wind, the elements played a role as well. Some people did try to practice physical and social distancing, and some people did wear masks. So--
ARROYO: OK.
DR. NESHEIWAT: --all of this together probably played a role in why we didn't see an uptick.
ARROYO: Dr. Manny, there were optional masks here at Mount Rushmore tonight. People were - there are lots of hand-washing stations. Is that sufficient to ensure public health, in your opinion?
DR. MANNY ALVAREZ, SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR OF FOX NEWS HEALTH & FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, let me tell you, this is a great night for America. I think that this event is really - is needed and showcases the unity that the President wants to bring.
As so far as safety is concerned, the American public is responsible. And the people that are going to that event know perfectly well what the president means about responsibility. And I'm sure that, despite the fact that you may see pictures where they may not be wearing masks or being six feet apart, people are taking precautions because they understand, there are Americans, they understand their responsibility, and they want to be safe themselves.
And that is the message of freedom, which is what the president is showcasing today.
ARROYO: And the cases tend to be low in the state as well.
ALVAREZ: The people taking statues -- absolutely, the number of COVID cases in South Dakota is very minimal. Hospitalizations are really not that large. And so they don't have a problem in South Dakota, and that's why I feel that breathing the American air, having American responsibility, which is what the president is trying to do, is the perfect tone to celebrate the freedom of America, which is very important for everybody to remember.
ARROYO: Dr. Manny, Dr. Janette, thank you so much. I want to go live to the event. As the doctor was saying, this is a celebration of America. We are going to cut away just for a moment, let you listen and to Governor Kristi Noem. Listen.
GOV. KRISTI NOEM (R-SD): -- grew up hunting and fishing on public lands. He also has legal, policy, and administrative experience. He served nearly a decade in senior level positions at the department, including as solicitor and deputy solicitor. Under his leadership, the Interior Department has expanded access to public lands. They've advanced American energy independence, strengthened the departmental ethics program, and also delivered billions of dollars in regulatory relief since the very beginning of the Trump administration. We are also honored to have his wife Gena here this evening with us, as well as his daughter Katie. So ladies and gentlemen, would you please join me in welcoming the United States Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt.
(MUSIC)
ARROYO: And we will continue to monitor this event, anticipating the president's comments, which, I read some excerpts, you want to stay around for this. Some incredible comments from the president that really speak to this moment.
Americans in California are declaring their own independence this July 4th against these onerous COVID restrictions. We go live now to the Independence Day autonomous zone in California. The president straight ahead, so stay with us. We're going to get to that in a moment. You see the autonomous zone there. We are going to take you live and talk to the man who has organized it.
We are going 1,000 miles now to southwest Venice Beach California, a city known for its conservative bent. My next guest is using the left's own tactics against them and creating an Independence Day autonomous zone right on the beach. Joining me now is Phelim McAleer. He is an author, filmmaker, and organizer of this autonomous zone. OK, Phelim, that beach behind you is closed, so what's the purpose of this zone you've created, and why are you willing to get arrested for it?
PHELIM MCALEER, JOURNALIST AND FILMMAKER: Well, it's because the mayor closed the beach, the governor closed the beach, and two weeks ago they were out encouraging everyone to go out on Black Lives Matter protests. They were standing in these protests. Eric Garcetti, the mayor of New York, was never off his knees bending for this and bending for that, with no masks. And now they tell us we can't go on the beach? This is hypocrisy.
So, I decided the way to get around this is to declare this an autonomous zone, because that's cool now, because you're really cool. Actually, your immune from COVID if you're in an autonomous zone, so I created this Independence Day autonomous zone so the people of Venice, the people of Los Angeles could enjoy the beach in safety.
ARROYO: OK, Phelim, here is L.A.'s mayor Eric Garcetti on the protests that aren't spreading any COVID at all. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI (D-CA), LOS ANGELES: I'm glad that we are able to come all day long have protests in a peaceful and safe way.
Like so many others who were peacefully protesting, we need to hear those voices.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARROYO: Phelim, do you expect your voice, your protest to be treated in the same way?
MCALEER: No, no, of course not, because it's one rule for the elites, like Garcetti and his friends and his cronies, and another rule for the rest of us. There's 25 miles of beaches here. People socially distance on a beach. Who wants to sit beside the people on the beach? You always six at least six feet from people on the beach. But Garcetti, on these crowds, he's on his knees, he's talking to people, he's in a crowd, it's one rule for these elites, one rule for Garcetti, one rule for the Black Lives Matter people, but not for me.
ARROYO: Phelim, thank you very much.
Up ahead, more of the presidential Mount Rushmore Independence Day celebration. The president's speech is coming up. Stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ARROYO: Welcome back to FOX News live coverage of the president at Mount Rushmore. Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota now talking about efforts, or those who would like to see Mount Rushmore taken down. Listen.
(APPLAUSE)
NOEM: Against all odds and incredible struggle, we can find examples of perseverance, dedication, and commitment to certain fundamental truths. These men did not stage a revolt against the Kingdom of Great Britain for personal gain or for personal power. They did it because they knew they had to in order to defend their right to live, work, and worship as they saw fit.
Following the British defeat, we could've had a king. But instead, we had a man who walked away from his position as commander-in-chief, and then he also walked away from the presidency. These examples, like so many others, rarely make the cut when looking back on their lives, but they undoubtedly serve as an illustration of all that Americans should emulate.
ARROYO: Kristi Noem, the governor of South Dakota, talking about George Washington, who walked away from the presidency despite his great popularity, one of the men remembered there at Mount Rushmore. We are awaiting President Trump's comments. We'll bring you those in moments.
But now it's time for our seen and unseen segment where we expose the big cultural stories of the week. Joining me now is legendary actor and singer Robert Davi. Robert, the president is going to be standing up for American tradition and history tonight at Mount Rushmore, but you feel his party and the general republic, the so-called silent majority, have been too silent. Why?
ROBERT DAVI, ACTOR: I call them now the spineless majority, and they are not spineless, but they are either frightened or they're quiet. I don't think they've been able to galvanize. I hope tonight he galvanizes the nation.
I think one of the most important films in the last 25 years is a movie called "Network" where Peter Finch said I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore. And in that, in the guise of news and the network television, he exposes, Paddy Chayefsky exposed exactly what the left is doing to America today.
We are not framing -- one thing, Raymond. Mount Rushmore, just so you know, I want ladies and gentlemen to know, an Italian called Luigi Del Bianco is responsible for a lot of the sculptings on that. Italians during that era were considered lower and dirtier than the negro by "The New York Times." So you've got to understand, the attack on our cultures, the attack on our -- the Marxist cultural revolution that's happening in our country has not been framed correctly. De Blasio, why is no one in New York not demanding him to step down? Is there no one in New York who understands what happened to that city right now, and cities across our nation?
Yes, Black Lives Matter, yes, we understand that there's problems with police, but you just had this long protester, poor guy in Venice, California, with the ocean behind him. The reason why nobody is going to cover that is because there's no one is there. When they took down the Santa Monica statues, for Saint Monica, the Christmas statues, I held candlelight vigil. Myself and Adam Baldwin are the only two actors that showed up. No one else showed up. And I wrote about this 10 years ago, 15 years ago, I wrote an article in 2015 when Mount McKinley was renamed by President Obama. McKinley was an abolitionist. He was against slavery before Lincoln, and he was assassinated. And they renamed that. I said in that article, people should read that article from 2015 because I prophesized what was going to happen.
And we are weak out there. Come on, people. Get together behind this president. The GOP stinks. I blame the GOP. I have heard no one speak up.
ARROYO: OK. You are certainly speaking up tonight, and I think the president is going to speak up in a moment. And sometimes people need that leadership.
Before I let you go, give us your sentence on why these images are so important, why the president has traveled all the way to Mount Rushmore to make the point that this statuary, these images of these founders, are important. Some people just say, look, they're just statues. You take them down, you put something else up. You would say what to that idea?
DAVI: I say that idea is you're erasing our history. It's the beginning of the cultural -- they did this in Russia. They did this -- they've done this in every Marxist society.
ARROYO: In China.
DAVI: Mao, come on, people, communist China. You get rid of the symbols, you get rid of America. It's the beginning of it. That's what I said in the Mount McKinley thing. I said it's the beginning. They're testing the waters. Then they erase our history.
ARROYO: Robert David, I'm sorry to cut you of there. I'm up against a hard break. Thank you for your time tonight. Happy July 4th.
Mount Rushmore Independence Day celebration continues in a moment. The president's speech is next. Stay there.
NOEM: Especially those of us were on the political front lines. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ARROYO: I'm Raymond Arroyo. This is FOX News live coverage of the president at Mount Rushmore. He will be speaking in moments. We'll bring you that live.
And in fact, he's stepping to the podium now. President Donald Trump and his remarks from Mount Rushmore. Given the guidance we've been handed, it appears the president is going to address the cancel culture, the taking down of statues, and American history.
(MUSIC)
ARROYO: This is FOX News live coverage, President Trump at Mount Rushmore, an event planned long before the statues coming down, the toppling of American icons that we've seen over the last few weeks. But he's going to use this moment to reinforce American heritage, the traditions that he feels are imperiled, and this is a real cri de coeur, given the advanced excerpts we've seen, and this crowd couldn't be more excited.
President Trump now speaking to the nation and to the 7,000 plus people gathered at Mount Rushmore. We're delighted to bring this to you live as it happens. Of course, you see the four founding fathers and the few others there, Jefferson, Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, and Mr. Lincoln. He will invoke them, and speak to this moment tying July 4th and the independence spirit to the need to preserve our history and these statues and monuments taht capture them and commemorate them.
Sounds like Lee Greenwood's introduction is drawing to a close. And the president begins.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, thank you very much.
And, Governor Noem and Secretary Bernhardt, we very much appreciate it, members of Congress, distinguished guests.
And a very special hello to South Dakota.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
As we begin this Fourth of July weekend, the first lady and I would wish each and every one of you a very, very happy Independence Day. Thank you.
Let us show our appreciation to the South Dakota Army and Air National Guard and the U.S. Air Force for inspiring us with that magnificent display of American airpower.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
And, of course, our gratitude, as always, to the legendary and very talented Blue Angels.
Thank you very much.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Let us also send our deepest thanks to our wonderful veterans, law enforcement, first responders and the doctors, nurses and scientists working tirelessly to kill the virus.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
They are working hard. We want to thank them very, very much.
We are grateful as well to your state's congressional delegation, Senator John Thune.
John, thank you very much.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Senator Mike Rounds.
Thank you, Mike.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
And Dusty Johnson, congressman.
Hi, Dusty. Thank you.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
And all others with us tonight from Congress, thank you very much for coming. We appreciate it.
There could be no better place to celebrate America's independence than beneath this magnificent, incredible, majestic mountain and monument to the greatest Americans who have ever lived.
Today, we pay tribute to the exceptional lives and extraordinary legacies of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
I am here as your president to proclaim, before the country and before the world, this monument will never be desecrated.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
These heroes will never be defaced.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Their legacy will never, ever be destroyed. Their achievements will never be forgotten.
And Mount Rushmore will stand forever as an eternal tribute to our forefathers and to our freedom.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!
TRUMP: We gather tonight to herald the most important day in the history of nations, July 4, 1776.
At those words, every American heart should swell with pride, every American family should cheer with delight, and every American patriot should be filled with joy, because each of you lives in the most magnificent country in the history of the world, and it will soon be greater than ever before.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Our founders launched not only a revolution in government, but a revolution in the pursuit of justice, equality, liberty, and prosperity.
No nation has done more to advance the human condition than the United States of America, and no people have done more to promote human progress than the citizens of our great nation.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
It was all made possible by the courage of 56 patriots who gathered in Philadelphia 244 years ago and signed the Declaration of Independence.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
They enshrined a divine truth that changed the world forever when they said, all men are created equal. These immortal words set in motion the unstoppable march of freedom.
Our founders boldly declared that we are all endowed with the same divine rights given us by our creator in heaven. And that which God has given us, we will allow no one ever to take away, ever.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
1776 represented the culmination of thousands of years of Western civilization and the triumph of not only spirit, but of wisdom, philosophy, and reason.
And yet, as we meet here tonight, there is a growing danger that threatens every blessing our ancestors fought so hard for, struggled, they bled to secure.
Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children.
(BOOING)
Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our founders, deface our most sacred memorials, and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities.
Many of these people have no idea why they are doing this, but some know exactly what they are doing. They think the American people are weak and soft and submissive.
But, no, the American people are strong and proud, and they will not allow our country...
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
... and all of its values, history, and culture to be taken from them.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: One of their political weapons is cancel culture, driving people from their jobs, shaming dissenters, and demanding total submission from anyone who disagrees.
This is the very definition of totalitarianism. And it is completely alien to our culture and to our values. And it has absolutely no place in the United States of America.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
This attack on our liberty, our magnificent liberty, must be stopped, and it will be stopped very quickly.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
We will expose this dangerous movement, protect our nation's children, end this radical assault, and preserve our beloved American way of life.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
In our schools, our newsrooms, even our corporate boardrooms, there is a new far left fascism that demands absolute allegiance.
If you do not speak its language, perform its rituals, recite its mantras, and follow its commandments, then you will be censored, banished, blacklisted, persecuted, and punished.
Not going to happen to us.
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