For the second year in a row, the Biden Administration has refused to allow fireworks to celebrate Independence Day at one of our iconic landmarks, Mount Rushmore. This despite pleas from South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who formally applied for a permit but was denied in March by faceless bureaucrats in the Parks Department who cited, “environmental concerns” and “objections from Native American tribes” in their rejection.

Noem is so intent on getting the celebration back to the landmark that on Friday she once again applied for a permit—for 2023. Presumably giving her ample time to sue when the “non-partisan'” Parks Department inevitably shoots her down once again.

"We are not going to be able to host those fireworks this year at Mt. Rushmore…the fact is [Biden] is violating federal law by not letting S. Dakota celebrate our independence."-@govkristinoem on Biden canceling July 4th celebrations.

'The Chad Prather Show' w/ @WatchChad pic.twitter.com/dGm4tKmXRG

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) June 27, 2022

I think we all know what is going on here. The Biden Administration is punishing Donald Trump for his massive, America-loving rally at Mount Rushmore on July 4, 2020—yes, with fireworks—while also letting Republican Gov. Noem know who’s the boss. Remember:

This is not the first time Gov. Noem and South Dakota have been rejected: Her permit application was denied last year too, for COVID reasons of course, and a federal judge rebuffed her attempts to get the ban overturned. It would seem that many are going out of their way to deny our right to celebrate our country’s independence and greatness.

Noem was understandably disappointed, saying in a press release regarding her latest permit application:

As Americans Day, we have once again been denied the opportunity to celebrate at our nation’s enduring symbol of freedom, Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

We have submitted a request for 2023 and will continue asking the Biden Administration to work with us to give the people the celebration they deserve.

For years, until 2010, annual fireworks were part of the Mount Rushmore Independence Day celebrations, with fire mitigation part of the planning, so Trump brought them back in 2020. The Park Service has provided all sorts of excuses for why they keep denying the permits, among them “clear and present” wildfire danger, the need for “dedicated transportation for the visitors, as occurred in 2020,” Native American objections, interference with “programs planned by NPS,” etc.

Programs planned by NPS? Give me a break. What National Park Service “program” are they planning that is more important than the celebration of our nation’s independence? They’re so transparent it’s like they’re made of tracing paper—they’ll do anything to deny Americans a chance to bask in pride of country. Whatever excuse is necessary, they’ll find it.

Noem put the blame on President Joe Biden:

Mount Rushmore is the best place in America to celebrate our nation’s birthday – I just wish President Biden could see that.

Last year, the President hypocritically held a fireworks celebration in Washington, D.C., while denying us our own event. This year, it looks like they are planning to do the same.

Yes, they are planning to do exactly the same thing.

In Noem’s recently released autobiography, she remembers the awe-inspiring exploding extravaganza over the massive sculptures of four of our presidents.  She writes simply, “The fireworks that night were something out of this world.”

Unfortunately, she could not know that that world would soon come to an end, and that the soulless Biden-world would take over.

Mount Rushmore isn’t the only place where fireworks are being canceled across the country this July 4th; in fact, they’re being scrapped in cities across the nation due to supply chain issues and wildfire worries. Other celebrations are being marred by unhinged leftist reactions to Roe being overturned. It’s notable though, that the Biden Administration is actively blocking celebration at one of our most iconic landmarks while planning huge DC explosions of their own.  Not content to trash our country, they want to take away your festive spirit too.

Don’t worry, they say, we’ll have our fireworks in DC; you in flyover country can suck on our jet fumes.