US President Donald Trump praised the military and urged youngsters to join the armed forces in an event held outside the 97-year-old Lincoln memorial. The US president was criticised by many for politicizing a holiday dedicated to unity. Amid tanks and planes flying overhead Trump spoke highly of the military. “For over 65 years, no enemy Air Force has managed to kill a single American soldier. Because the skies belong to the United States of America,” he said. The July 4 holiday celebrates the US founders’ declaring independence from Britain in 1776. Washington has held an Independence Day celebration for decades, featuring a parade, a concert on the Capitol lawn and fireworks beginning near the Washington Monument. Trump altered the line-up by adding his speech, moving the fireworks closer to the Lincoln Memorial and adding tanks and warplanes to the celebrations