All Four Living Former Presidents Appear Together in Philadelphia to Urge Americans Not to Give Up on Democracy

In an extraordinary display of nonpartisan unity ahead of the United States' 250th anniversary, four living former and current presidents — Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama — released a joint video message on Monday calling on Americans to recommit to the democratic principles at the heart of the nation's founding. The message, coordinated by the America250 Foundation and timed to coincide with the beginning of a yearlong celebration marking the semiquincentennial of American independence, represented the first time four presidents had appeared together in a joint address since the 2010 Haiti earthquake relief effort. President Trump was invited to participate but declined, according to organizers.

The four-minute video, filmed separately with each president at his home or office and edited together, opened with Carter at 101 years old at his Georgia home, speaking briefly about the endurance of the American experiment across a century of conflicts and challenges. Clinton, Bush, and Obama followed in turn, each addressing a different aspect of American democratic tradition. Clinton spoke about the importance of civic participation and voting. Bush emphasized the role of military service and sacrifice in sustaining freedom. Obama focused on the constitutional order and the need for each generation to uphold institutions that protect individual rights.

The joint message was carefully constructed to avoid direct criticism of any sitting official or political party. Organizers said the four presidents agreed to participate on the condition that the message remain forward-looking and avoid partisan language, a condition all four accepted. The result was a message that commentators on both left and right described as more inspirational than political, though the subtext — four presidents appearing together without the current president — was not lost on observers. The White House did not comment on Trump's decision not to participate.

The America250 Foundation, a nonprofit established by Congress to coordinate the national commemoration, said the semiquincentennial celebration would run through July 4, 2026, and include events in all 50 states, including the reconstruction of a replica of the tall ship USS Constellation, public history programs in underserved communities, and the largest fireworks display in American history on the National Mall. The foundation said it had raised approximately $180 million in private funding for the commemorative events.

Historians and civic organizations have been planning the 250th anniversary for years, viewing it as an opportunity to revisit the meaning of American democracy at a moment of significant political division. The four-president video was described by the foundation's president as an attempt to model the kind of cross-partisan solidarity the country's founders believed was necessary for republican government to survive. Whether the message would resonate with a public that has grown increasingly polarized along partisan lines remained an open question, but the visual of four presidents speaking in a common voice was unprecedented in recent memory and drew wide coverage across international media.