Washington

Scott Gilmore: Thirty years ago, it was easy to believe when Reagan said that America was a ’beacon of freedom’. Nobody’s buying it today.

Allen Abel in Washington: On the South Lawn, the president doubled down on his racist taunts as Democrats seethed and Republicans went mute

Maybe the U.S. president fell victim to a Teleprompter malfunction. Or maybe he didn’t know what he was talking about. Either way, we’ve got his back.

Anne Kingston: Canada can take a bow for enabling the president’s daughter’s rise under the vague, feel-good mantle of  ’women’s empowerment.’

Anne Kingston: And we’re about to relive the Inauguration attendance lies again, too.

Image of the Week: Let freedom clang

The president’s Fourth of July celebration at the Lincoln Memorial will feature tanks, fighter jets and fireworks. Watch it here.

Scott Gilmore: America’s pride in itself just hit a new low, according to a new survey. On this July 4th, it’s not hard to see why.

Paul Wells: The field seeking to take on Donald Trump is overcrowded. The first debate on Wednesday made clear that’s not such a bad thing.

Step inside the famous building and things seem, in places, smaller and shabbier. But there’s no mistaking the lure of the man in the middle of it.