Video shows hundreds sheltering in USDA building, singing national anthem amid July 4 storm

WASHINGTON, DC: Hundreds of people sheltering inside the USDA building spontaneously sang the national anthem after severe weather disrupted Fourth of July celebrations in Washington, DC, as a video shared by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins showed.

The moment unfolded as a storm interrupted the celebration of America’s 250th birthday and forced crowds on the National Mall to evacuate. President Donald Trump, however, vowed to deliver his speech “no matter what.”

USDA shelter crowd breaks into anthem

Rollins shared video of the packed indoor scene Saturday, July 4, on X, showing hundreds gathered inside the Agriculture Department building as the national anthem rang through the space.

“Unfortunately, the weather may have disrupted parts of the @Freedom250 celebration, but we were grateful to open the beautiful @USDA building to provide shelter,” Rollins wrote.

She said the patriotic moment that followed was not planned.

“And then this happened… these incredible patriots spontaneously broke into the National Anthem,” Rollins wrote.

The agriculture secretary followed the post with a short message of her own: “I love my country.”

Storm disrupts America 250 celebration

The severe weather threatened a heavily promoted rally and speech in Washington as the nation marked its 250th birthday.

Trump insisted the weather would not keep him away, writing on Truth Social that he would deliver his remarks regardless of the delay.

“Storms bring luck to whatever the occasion. They also make events a little bit more exciting!” Trump wrote.

“We will wait it out, I don’t care if it’s 2:00 O’Clock in the morning,” he added.

Trump then doubled down on his determination to appear, telling supporters, “I will be there no matter what, but the what usually turns out to be a good thing.”

“It’s Saturday night, LETS HAVE SOME FUN, even if we are out late tonight,” he wrote.

Evacuation sparks chaos on National Mall

As the storm approached, the evacuation order triggered a sharply different scene outside the USDA building, as per the Strait Times report.

“While many attendees streamed toward exits, chaos broke out as others refused to leave or attempted to surge back into the area,” according to the report.

Some shouted “charge!” while others chanted “Trump Trump!”, it stated.

The disruption came, it said, “after crowds had already endured intense heat to attend the anniversary celebration, only for the approaching thunderstorm to force the evacuation hours before Trump’s appearance.”

Inside the USDA building, however, Rollins’ video captured hundreds sheltering from the severe weather as voices filled the space with the national anthem, a moment she described as spontaneous.