Phantom Fireworks donated $750,000 in products to Salute to America, President Donald Trump’s 4th of July firework show. Fireworks by Grucci also made a sizable donation.
Phantom Fireworks has lobbied against expanding Chinese import tariffs, meeting with officials during a private meeting at the White House, The Hill reported.
The same day Phantom Fireworks announced its donation, Trump decided to postpone his threatened $300 tariffs on Chinese goods, which includes fireworks, ABC reported.
Phantom Fireworks CEO Bruce Zoldan had a private meeting with Trump May 22, along with other Washington business executives, according to WTOP. Several weeks later, he agreed to donate $750,000 in fireworks to “Salute to America,” Trump’s 4th of July show on the National Mall.
Zoldan gave a statement to WTOP which confirmed the meeting but said the group “did not specifically discuss fireworks or address the topic of fireworks and tariffs.”
He said, “I met the president with a group of businessmen who lead a variety of industries, and while tariffs were discussed in general, we did not equate the conversation to a specific industry. Discussions about Phantom and Grucci’s donation to this year’s Fourth of July performance commenced two months in advance of anything relating to tariffs.”
Discussions about 4th of July firework donations were ongoing for months before the meeting, he said.
Thanks to “Phantom Fireworks” and “Fireworks by Grucci” for their generosity in donating the biggest fireworks show Washington D.C. has ever seen. CEO’s Bruce Zoldan and Phil Grucci are helping to make this the greatest 4th of July celebration in our Nations history!
Trump wrote on Twitter July 2, “Thanks to “Phantom Fireworks” and “Fireworks by Grucci” for their generosity in donating the biggest fireworks show Washington D.C. has ever seen. CEO’s Bruce Zoldan and Phil Grucci are helping to make this the greatest 4th of July celebration in our Nations history!”
According to fireworks.com, the fireworks display will include:
– A display of the American flag in the sky using Grucci’s exclusive PixelBurst™ Aerial Shells. The display will use Grucci patented microchip technology, according to the press release. Grucci will place aerial shells in the sky in a pattern to display an abstract image of the United States flag above the Lincoln Memorial.
– A display of “USA” in the sky with Grucci’s exclusive SkyEtching™ technology using a Grucci exclusive launch system. Grucci will place multiple “ballistically-refined comet in the sky to write the letters above the Lincoln Memorial.
– More than a mile of sky will be illuminated above and to the left and right of the Lincoln Memorial.
– The “made-in-the-USA” Grucci Gold Flitter Split Comets will be a prelude to the finale, creating a Golden Glitter matrix in the sky. The matrix is intended to celebrate a “brilliant future to come.”