July 4, 2026 — Independence Day: July 4 (U.S. Progress Stunted?)
Check out this week’s blog post by IP attorney, author Timothy Trainer, host of the podcast and video show Tim’s Travails • Follow Tim on Substack
It has been 250 years since the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. The plan for the big party on the Washington Mall has changed. According to some headlines, a number of celebrities/entertainers realized that this year’s celebration would be too political and divisive. Many artists drop out of D.C. concert series for America’s 250th anniversary shortly after lineup announced – CBS News.
Two hundred and fifty years. There may be a handful of people who believe that the country’s efforts toward a more perfect union were stunted at the 240-year mark. In May 2016, there were enough Republican delegates supporting Trump for him to win the party’s nomination later in July of that year.
In Trump’s rambling June 2015 remarks announcing his candidacy, he may have inadvertently said something foretelling the future. “Hey, I have lobbyists. I have to tell you. I have lobbyists that can produce anything for me. They’re great.” Election 2016: Transcript – Donald Trump announces presidential candidacy – CBS News. Indeed, everything is centered on him, not citizens, not people, not the country, just him. The sad and unfortunate part of this foretelling is that those who would “produce” anything for Trump went beyond the world of lobbyists and include billionaire CEOs, an army of politicians, law enforcement officers, and many others.
That rambling 2015 speech included his statement that “We have to repeal Obamacare and it can be replaced with something much better for everybody. Let it be for everybody. But much better and much less expensive for people.” Election 2016: Transcript – Donald Trump announces presidential candidacy – CBS News. For millions of Americans, health care remains a distant dream as Obamacare (Affordable Care Act-ACA) subsidies expired. Just days ago, it was reported that the absence of any replacement program has caused approximately four (4) million Americans to drop out of ACA coverage. Millions dropped ObamaCare plans after subsidies ended. A GOP plan? What plan? At this point, health care in the U.S. means an expensive visit to the emergency room.
Trump’s promise of the American Dream and bringing it “back bigger and better and stronger than ever before” seems to be a distant goal for someone else to fulfill given the current state of the economy. A June 2026 report by the Joint Economic Committee found housing, energy, food and health care costs rising and taking a bigger bite out of household budgets. NEW DATA: Trump Says “I Love the Inflation,” As Families Have Had to Spend $3,100+ More on Everyday Essentials – NEW DATA: Trump Says “I Love the Inflation,” As Families Have Had to Spend $3,100+ More on Everyday Essentials – United States Joint Economic Committee.
The Oval Office occupant’s constant boasting about his wins and victories ring hollow. He said “I beat China all the time. All the time.” Election 2016: Transcript – Donald Trump announces presidential candidacy – CBS News. Really? China demonstrates its ability to respond to the economic threats expressed and tariffs imposed. China’s advantageous position in rare earth minerals provides it with significant negotiating power. China’s massive stockpile of oil has, thus far, allowed it to avoid negative economic side affects from the US-Iran conflict. China controls an estimated 80% of global solar manufacturing. China is moving beyond rare earths to restrict key goods needed by the U.S. – The Washington Post. China’s understanding that the U.S. is an unreliable trading partner caused China to invest in ways to become less dependent on the U.S. thereby strengthening its negotiating hand. The question is how much we have weakened our hand by gutting various government offices and firing China experts in relevant government offices.
And, when it comes to China, it is worth recalling that Trump’s own construction projects relied on less expensive Chinese provided steel and aluminum rather than those materials made in the U.S. How Donald Trump Ditched U.S. Steel Workers in Favor of China – Newsweek. Moreover, millions of dollars flow from China into Trump businesses, raising the question about how “tough” he really can be with China when he’s profiting from business with that country. Trump businesses took in nearly $8 million from foreign governments: House Democrats.
Trump campaigned saying “I will find – within our military, I will find the General Patton or I will find General MacArthur, I will find the right guy. I will find the guy that’s going to take that military and make it really work.” Election 2016: Transcript – Donald Trump announces presidential candidacy – CBS News. Has anyone ever noticed our military “not working”? The problem with Trump’s statement is it looks to the past, not the future. The world is different from the days of Patton and MacArthur. From Ukraine to Iran, new methods of warfare challenge old notions. The problem is not the military and the men and women at the top of each of the services. The problem is that the current Oval Office occupant and his minions heading the Defense Department keep removing highly qualified, experienced, and talented leadership. Perhaps all this firing is why he can’t find the right guy. Perhaps that “guy” is a woman.
The high hurdles confronting the U.S. citizenry exist because of one man’s obsessions. He is obsessed with the evidence free claim that the 2020 election was stolen. Trump administration widens its 2020 election probe as it obtains records from Arizona | PBS News. He’s self-absorbed, fighting in the courts regarding personal judgments against him where juries and judges have found him guilty of fraud and sexual assault. The Cases Against Trump: A Guide – The Atlantic. Trump’s campaign of retribution against his perceived political enemies has resulted in dismissals of cases against James Comey and Letitia James. Trump’s Retribution Push Has Expanded Even as It Hits Legal Barriers – The New York Times. A judge quashed subpoenas brought by the Department of Justice against Minnesota officials, finding the subpoenas to be an effort to silence dissent of federal policies. Judge Finds Justice Dept. Overreach in Subpoenas to Minnesota Officials – The New York Times.
Trump oversees an administration that violates the oath to protect and defend the basic rights guaranteed by the constitution. Through his appointees, Trump uses law enforcement agencies to deny people of free speech. See Trump’s assault on the First Amendment | International Bar Association. Courts have stepped in where this administration has denied individuals due process. Supreme Court finds Trump violated migrant due process rights with speedy deportations | Courthouse News Service.
The listing of ways in which this Trump-led government undermines the foundations of the country could go on and on. Ultimately, the public policies and personal pursuits of this administration tend to be free of any concern for the people or the country. Political appointees exist to placate the criminal who occupies the White House. As the U.S. counts down to its July 4th celebration, the question is whether the country can survive the onslaught against the Constitution. Will the country recover from the divisiveness the criminal head of government has created, and whether we, the people, believe in the kind of country the founders envisioned and outlined in the Declaration of Independence?
Timothy Trainer • Photo by AnnaGibbs.com
About the Timothy Trainer: Writing books is a passion for attorney Timothy Trainer, who for more than three decades focused on intellectual property issues in his day job. He has worked in government agencies and in the private sector, and his assignments have taken him to 60 countries around the world.
Tim found time to pen a few non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2022. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff.
Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2019, Pendulum Over the Pacific, was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains.
In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection.
In 2025, he published the sequel, The China Factor, which ranked #63 on the Amazon Asian Literature list in May.
Click here to learn about all of Tim’s books
