The world-famous orchestra, the Boston Pops, marked the Bicentennial in 1976 as America’s birthday should be celebrated, with music sure to rouse patriots no matter what their politics.

Legendary conductor Arthur Fiedler had led the orchestra to greatness for over half a century, and his biggest moment came as a crowd of 400,000 gathered in Boston on a perfect Fourth of July evening at the Hatch Bandshell on the Charles River. The offerings ranged from classical—including Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, complete with National Guard cannons—to patriotic, naturally including the national anthem.

Along with “The Star-Spangled Banner,” there was also “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” A rendition of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” was so rousing that a video of the crowd singing along is liable to cause a true patriot to well up five decades later. The footage shows that at the final chorus, people are on their feet, smiling and hugging and swaying arm in arm, hoisting their kids aloft. They come to a word that stands out as we approach the nation’s 250th birthday.

“His truth is marching on.”

Our current president has hijacked that word for Truth Social, the social media platform through which he posts falsehood after falsehood after falsehood.

One result has been that most of the artists who signed up for the supposedly non-partisan “Freedom 250” series of concerts scheduled from June 25 to July 10 for the National Mall in Washington, D.C., withdrew when they came to realize it was part of an attempt by President Donald Trump to conflate a celebration of the nation’s birthday with his own.

The first big event is a UFC match at the White House, coinciding with Trump’s 80th birthday, to be preceded by a weigh-in........

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