Bill Pullman Gives Independence Day Speech For Beer Ad That Promotes Vaccines

Actor Bill Pullman has reprised his Independence Day role for a new Budweiser commercial celebrating the 4th of July and encouraging people to get vaccinated.

As we all remember, Pullman’s President Thomas J. Whitmore from the 1996 film Independence Day gave an impassioned speech encouraging the people of America to come together to defeat the aliens. Now, he’s giving a similar speech to promote barbecues and knocking back cold ones. His speech also touches on the pandemic and how, with vaccines more readily available this year, people can more safely gather for barbecues. His speech also takes aim at “this thing,” which is likely a reference to the virus, and how if we “win the day” (i.e. get vaccinated) then the virus will be defeated.

“In less than a week, we hope to fire up our grills and launch one of the biggest 4th of July celebrations in the history of the United States,” he says in the video. “Perhaps it’s fate that that this Fourth of July, we’ve gotta once again come together to lend a hand to those less fortunate whose fate still lies in the balance. We’re fighting for freedom for all, not from alien invaders, from separation, from being cooped up while baking bread and ignoring basic hygiene. Should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday but as a day when the world declared in one voice we will not go quietly into the night. We will fill the sky with so much light and freedom that this thing will rue the day it ever messed with us.”

Anheuser-Busch previously announced that it would give everyone in America a free beer if America could reach President Biden’s goal of having 70% of the adult population receiving at least one dose of a vaccine.

Biden’s goal was to reach this figure by the 4th of July. Twelve states have reached 70% of people having at least one dose, but the national figures are below that.