Donald J. Trump, the 45th & 47th President of the United States of America invited the President of the International Cody Family Association (ICFA) & the great, great grandson of Buffalo Bill, William “Kevin” Cody, and his sister & ICFA Cody Kids Corner author, Kellie Cody Edwards to our nation’s Capital in Washington, D.C. for the Freedom 250 “Salute to America” event to celebrate this historic Independence Day.
White House Guest-Production Security Clearance Badge
On July 4th, 2026, at 7 pm, the event was packed to capacity with roughly 425,000 people eagerly awaiting the start of the show, which had already been delayed by 2 hours due to record-breaking heat of 102 degrees. Unfortunately, another setback was rolling in as severe thunderstorms and lightning forced the entire crowd to evacuate. Attendees took temporary shelter in nearby federal buildings, museums, restaurants, and bars. The storm created a quandary of chaos and confusion with event crew, performers, and special guests including Kevin, Kellie, and their mother, Linda, scattered throughout the city, not knowing what to do, where to go, or if the show would be cancelled entirely.
President Trump was determined to move forward no matter how long it took to resume. He had the production team scrambling on their toes to reconnect with everyone so we could regroup and patiently wait at various locations depending on our roles. All the veterans and descendants who were to be honored on stage huddled in the lobby & bar of the Willard Hotel.
After a long wait, the storm had finally passed and the gates luckily reopened. The event resumed at 11 pm, however, the 6-hour postponement forced the programming to cut most of the scheduled musical guests including Sammy Hagar, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Gretchen Wilson, and Vanilla Ice, with President Trump not taking the stage until 11:30 pm. Despite all the setbacks, the event staff and security did an amazing job in reconvening and putting on a spectacular and momentous show. The program concluded shortly after 12:30 am with a world record-setting display of 860,000 fireworks to commemorate our country’s semiquincentennial anniversary.
Throughout the event, President Trump graciously recognized and honored many of our country’s pivotal veterans and figures in American history along with their descendants including Buffalo Bill’s kin. The President introduced Kevin and Kellie to the stage with these words: “American grit, boldness and daring forged heroes like Davy Crockett, Wyatt Earp, Annie Oakley, Teddy Roosevelt, and the legend of the Wild West, Buffalo Bill Cody. These were great, powerful people whose incredible grandchildren happened to be with us tonight. And they stand alongside one of the first American flags ever to fly over our expanding nation. It was carried west just as Lewis and Clark began their journey in 1803. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Great to have you. Great to have you to honor this audacious and indomitable soul of America”.
The direct descendants of Buffalo Bill were very honored to share the stage with President Trump and to have their beloved, great-great-grandfather recognized for his historical achievements and contributions to America. This was an opportunity of a lifetime and a surreal experience that they will treasure and remember forever.
Although they enjoyed their short time in the spotlight on stage, and the VIP treatment they received, their most memorable moment was the time they got to spend with the President and his family backstage. The siblings reported that the inconvenient setbacks from the weather didn’t detour the President’s disposition and that he was in good spirits and humor, even cracking jokes with everyone both on and off stage. They also noted that he was genuinely kind, respectful, and compassionate towards all his guests and that he and his wife, Melania, went out of their way to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable.
The live broadcast event was distributed nationwide to hundreds of local affiliate stations, major cable news channels including FOX, CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, C-SPAN, MS NOW, RSBN, & NewsNation, along with streaming networks through several massive multiplatform broadcasting partnerships. The program was also broadcast internationally through a combination of global news syndicate networks, international cable platforms, and free digital livestreams including translated simulcasts spanning across Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Early estimations indicate that the event had between 15 to 20 million viewers worldwide.
Kevin and Kellie were also interviewed and had their story published by the Cody Enterprise - click to read article. In addition, honorable mentions of Buffalo Bill and/or his descendants from the program were later reported by the New York Times, New York Post, Fox News & Associated Press, Newsweek, WUSA9, NDTV World, AOL, Cerd, and MEAWW.
This is not the first time President Trump has spoken about Buffalo Bill, and he’s not the first President to publicly talk about him either. This is a clear testament that the spirit and legacy of William F. Cody continue to thrive and stand the test of time.
Click here to watch the full event, or click here to only watch the direct descendants of Buffalo Bill take the stage
Written by William “Kevin” Cody