July 4, 2019 - PBS NewsHour full episode

President Trump has been yearning for a large-scale military display since he took office. With this year’s Fourth of July celebration, which includes tanks, fighter jets and the Blue Angels, he gets his wish -- but not without criticism. The Washington Post’s Dan Lamothe has been reporting on the controversy around Trump’s military “salute” and joins Judy Woodruff to foreshadow the event.

The U.S. is currently in the midst of the longest economic expansion since the period following World War II. But even though the numbers are good, they don’t add up to prosperity for all Americans. William Brangham talks to Matthew Slaughter of the Tuck School of Business and Equitable Growth's Heather Boushey about factors contributing to the era of growth and the potential dangers lying ahead.

Arthur Brooks is the former president of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative Washington, D.C., think tank. Troubled by the level of animosity in the current U.S. political landscape, he's analyzed why we increasingly hate those with whom we disagree -- and how to use love to try to persuade them instead. Brooks joins Judy Woodruff to discuss his latest book, "Love Your Enemies."

President Trump took the stage at his “Salute to America” event this evening. Although there was some apprehension over his speech would be political, his remarks primarily focused on American history and why he thinks the U.S. is as strong as it’s ever been. Judy Woodruff brings us some of what he had to say, followed by reaction from Yamiche Alcindor, who reports from the National Mall.

This Fourth of July, Vice President Mike Pence welcomed newly naturalized U.S. citizens in the nation’s capital. In Iowa, the holiday meant special campaign events for 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. Meanwhile, crowds gathered in Washington for President Trump’s “Salute to America.” John Yang reports and Judy Woodruff talks to Yamiche Alcindor, reporting from the National Mall.