Uninvited To Their Own Party: US Officials Barred From Biggest Overseas July 4 Celebration
Uninvited To Their Own Party: US Officials Barred From Biggest Overseas July 4 Celebration Published By, Last Updated: July 03, 2026, 15:42 IST American citizens
Uninvited To Their Own Party: US Officials Barred From Biggest Overseas July 4 Celebration Published By, Last Updated: July 03, 2026, 15:42 IST American citizens are still welcome, but officials from the Trump administration have been kept off the Fourth of July programme. Rapid Read Rebild Festival, the largest Fourth of July celebration outside of the US, is held annually in Rebild Park, Denmark. (Image: rebildfesten.dk) A century-old Fourth of July celebration in Denmark, billed as the largest outside the United States, will take place without American government representatives for the first time amid anger over US President Donald Trump’s threats to take control of Greenland. Thousands of Americans and Danes traditionally gather in the rural town of Rebild every July 4 to celebrate ties between the two countries. The event features American flags, patriotic songs, classic cars, hot dogs and speeches by prominent Danish and American guests. This year, however, local authorities told the organisers to remove US officials from the programme or risk losing public funding and logistical support, according to The New York Times. American citizens attending in their private capacity will still be welcome. Why Were US Officials Dropped? The decision follows repeated statements by Trump that the United States should acquire Greenland, a vast, strategically important Arctic island that is an autonomous territory of Denmark.
Trump’s remarks have caused deep resentment in Denmark and strained what had historically been a close relationship between Copenhagen and Washington. Lasse Olsen, a municipal council member who led the campaign against the participation of US officials, described Trump as an “imperialistic mad man", according to NYT. He said the presence of representatives from the Trump administration would “disturb and distort" the celebration. Local politicians subsequently gave the Rebild Park Society, which organises the event, a choice: exclude American officials or lose public assistance, including funding of around $50,000. The organisers agreed to revise the programme. They said officials from the US Embassy were disappointed but accepted the decision. Celebration Expected To Draw Its Smallest Crowd The controversy has also affected public interest in the event, with organisers expecting what could be its smallest attendance ever. In the years following the Second World War, when the United States was widely regarded as Denmark’s liberator and Danish-American family ties remained strong, the gathering reportedly attracted as many as 50,000 people. Attendance has declined over the decades and recent celebrations have generally drawn only a few thousand visitors. This year, organisers said they would consider themselves fortunate if the crowd reached 1,000. Some residents have said they plan to stay away because of the dispute over Greenland.
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