Happy Birthday America

BABY TRUMPS, AIRCRAFT, PUDDLE OF MUD HIGHLIGHT FOURTH IN D.C.

From the corner of 14th and Constitution I could see the orange and yellow top of the giant baby Trump. Over the top of a green hill next to 17th and the World War II memorial, the inflated head peaked over a horizon line.

Like a Waffle House sign it was calling my name. “Cheesy eggs with no collusion,” whispered it’s mental telepathic message. But it far away and the park was surrounded in security fencing. Temperatures were on the rise, the humidity was high and I had no idea how to get on the other side of the barrier that stretched for blocks.

Two bottles of water, and 45 minutes later, and after walking up to 19th, back to 17th, back up to 20th and then back to 17th near the war memorial, I collapsed under a tree nearby. For the next 45 minutes in the relief of the shade I watched people make selfies with the bloated attraction.

Like most yesterday in the nation’s capital, I never got close enough to the see the actual president during the Fourth of July celebrations. Alternatively, I was able to find many baby Trumps, one very large and many small. The largest, which has made appearances in Buenos Aires, Dublin, and Paris was crowdfunded and has more than a dozen babysitters from England. A robotic version of Donald Trump, tweeting on a golden toilet, also made an appearance.

Photos and words by Sean Rayford

About the author: Sean Rayford is a Columbia, SC photographer known most for his work in photojournalism. He currently works with The New York Times, Getty Images, The Washington Post, NPR, AP and more.