President Donald Trump is scheduled to travel to Medora, North Dakota to dedicate the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, in an event timed ahead of the Fourth of July. The trip will also mark the public unveiling of a refurbished Boeing 747, donated by Qatar, which the administration intends to use as Air Force One with a paint scheme chosen by the president in red, white, dark blue and gold.
The library dedication and the appearance of the jumbo jet are part of a sequence of patriotic events the president has embraced in the run-up to Independence Day and during the broader 250th anniversary observances. The White House has positioned these occasions as occasions to project a vision of American greatness as the country heads into a midterm election season.
The Boeing 747 has attracted attention and public scrutiny. Critics have raised concerns about the cost and the rapid pace of renovations, and noted the unusual circumstances surrounding acceptance of a luxury wide-body aircraft from a foreign government. The president has publicly dismissed those criticisms, and the Air Force has stated that the aircraft meets presidential standards.
Observers and officials have framed the library dedication in historical terms tied to Theodore Roosevelt’s time in the nearby Badlands. The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, a 96,000 square-foot facility carved from the local soil, overlooks a national park named for the former president because of the formative years he spent in that region. The library is scheduled to open to the public on Saturday.
In a press release accompanying the events, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum linked Roosevelt’s outlook to current presidential rhetoric, saying, "Theodore Roosevelt believed America’s greatest work was always still ahead. President Trump shares that conviction in American greatness, and in the belief that this nation’s finest age is yet to come."
The dedication in Medora is part of a broader week of engagements. The president is scheduled to visit Mount Rushmore in South Dakota on Friday - the national memorial that features the sculpted likenesses of Theodore Roosevelt alongside George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. He is also expected to deliver a campaign-style speech on Saturday in Washington as part of a July 4 celebration that will include a 35-minute fireworks display over the Potomac River.
Administration officials and allies have used the semiquincentennial events to highlight presidential leadership, while noting that public opinion remains sharply divided toward the president, who has dominated Republican politics for a decade. The administration is seeking to leverage these high-profile patriotic events in an election year shaped by voter concerns over the cost of living and the Iran war.
Context and logistics
The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is described as a 96,000 square-foot structure constructed from the local terrain and situated to overlook the national park commemorating Roosevelt’s time in the Badlands. The library opening is scheduled for Saturday, following the president’s dedication ceremony in Medora.
The privately donated Boeing 747, refurbished and painted in colors selected by the president, will be showcased as part of the visit. The procurement and refurbishment have been the subject of public debate, focused on renovation costs, project timeline, and the fact that the aircraft was a gift from a foreign government. The Air Force has maintained the aircraft is up to presidential standards.
Reporting notes: This article reports on the president’s planned travel and the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, the scheduled public appearance of the donated and refurbished Boeing 747 as Air Force One, and the related sequence of patriotic events through the July 4 holiday.