Some US states pull out of Trump’s Great American State Fair

WASHINGTON – At least five US states have declined to take part in the Great American State Fair, one of US President Donald Trump’s marquee events scheduled to begin in June to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday.

The withdrawals add to the growing signs that a summer of national celebration has become an increasingly fragmented and partisan affair as Trump has sought to stamp his imprint on the events.

The states known to have withdrawn are Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Oregon, each of which is led by a Democratic governor. Some, like Massachusetts and North Carolina, said they declined to participate in the fair, set to begin June 25 on the National Mall, because of budget constraints. And states are holding their own celebrations for the occasion, many of which have been years in the making.

“Our limited resources are focused on America 250 events across North Carolina, including one at the state Capitol in Raleigh on July 4,” said Michele Walker, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Oregon, too, said the cost of participating was too high. But a spokesman for the state, Luke Harkins, said there were also “growing concerns that the event in Washington, D.C., is shaping up to be a more partisan affair than originally presented”.

The group sponsoring the event, Freedom 250, said that even if official state agencies are not participating, all states and territories will be represented at the 16-day celebration.

“Whether represented by a governor’s office, a tourism board, or a beloved state company or organisation, every community will be celebrated, and every American will see themselves in this once-in-a-generation event,” said Rachel Reisner, a spokeswoman for Freedom 250.

For example, a North Carolina specialty vehicles company, Spevco, is now slated to represent the state at the fair, Reisner said.

Freedom 250 is a subsidiary of the National Park Foundation, the congressionally authorised non-profit partner of the National Park Service. But the group has faced criticism for events that promote access to Trump and other perks for large donors, and for a lack of transparency despite its utilisation of taxpayer funds.

In 2016, Congress created a bipartisan commission to lead commemorations for the 250th anniversary. That commission created the America 250 foundation to spearhead the fundraising and planning for events.

But the large, Washington-based events are affiliated with the Freedom 250 group or Trump’s allies, such as the upcoming UFC matches on the White House’s South Lawn. The chief executive of UFC, Dana White, is a close friend of the President’s.

The set-up for the fair is already under way. The plan is to feature food from the 50 states and six territories, as well as military demonstrations and a 33m tall Ferris wheel. Many of the musical acts backed out because they said they had not known that the event was a Trump administration initiative, and Trump then said they should cancel. He has since scheduled a rally instead.

Reisner said the organisation is non-partisan, “full stop – and our track record of collaboration across red, blue and purple states speaks for itself”. NYTIMES