President Donald Trump opened the Great American State Fair on the National Mall Wednesday night with a speech celebrating American renewal, seizing the moment after several musical acts withdrew from the lineup citing political concerns about the Trump-backed event.
The 16-day exposition, organized by Freedom 250, a public-private partnership, marks the start of celebrations for America's 250th anniversary. When rappers and country singers initially scheduled to perform pulled out in recent weeks, Trump moved in as the main act himself.
Standing behind bulletproof glass with the Washington Monument at his back, Trump delivered remarks roughly 30 minutes long, shorter than his typical rallies and notably scripted. "Tonight, as we stand at the edge of our 250th year, I am thrilled to declare that America is back," he said. "A short time ago we were a dead country. We were dead. Now we're the hottest country anywhere in the world."
The speech touched on familiar ground. Trump highlighted his administration's ban on what he termed "transgender mutilation of children" and the policy declaring that "there are only two genders, male and female." He also claimed credit for removing "men out of women's sports."
Trump used the platform to declare victory on foreign policy. He referenced a memorandum of understanding signed the previous week to end the U.S. conflict with Iran, fully open the Strait of Hormuz, and prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. "We accomplished what no president has ever been able to accomplish before," he said, though final details of the agreement remain under negotiation.
The president also addressed the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, repeating claims that vandals had damaged it. Six people have been arrested and seven cited in connection with the incident. Trump said a $14 million-plus rehabilitation included a new liner in what he named "American flag blue." Recent photos, however, show the blue sealant peeling and floating in chunks while algae has turned the water green. Trump brushed off the current condition. "It looks perfect already, but we're fixing it," he said.
The afternoon and evening drew over 1,000 attendees to the National Mall. Roughly half wore Trump merchandise or his likeness. The stage featured fighter jet flyovers, military band performances, and performances from country singer Lee Greenwood and others.
The event's opening warmup included decidedly partisan remarks. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the military bands "way better than those libtards that canceled on us," referring to the musicians who withdrew. He declared Trump "the greatest U.S. president since George Washington." Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley said Trump was "no greater champion" of the 250th birthday movement.
For many attendees, the birthday milestone took a backseat to enthusiasm for Trump himself. Edward X. Young of New Jersey said it was his 116th Trump rally. "I believe in President Trump," he said, adding that he considered Trump's two nonconsecutive terms as presidencies 47 and 45 to be "our two greatest presidents ever." He recalled celebrating America's bicentennial in Boston 50 years earlier.
Other visitors framed their attendance differently. Shannon Silveri, a Washington-area resident, described the event as a "nonpartisan" celebration of the nation's 250th anniversary. Mary Smith of Ohio said she had attended specifically to mark another milestone like the bicentennial she experienced as a child. "It doesn't matter who the president is," Smith said. "It's still my country. I'm very proud and thankful that I live here."
The event featured typical fair elements, including merchandise booths selling red "America Is Back" baseball caps and Freedom 250 branded items, food concessions, and a Bible ministry offering prayers to visitors. One notable absence: alcohol sales, which disappointed some attendees expecting to purchase beer.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Trump turned a political embarrassment into a starring role, and he knows it. The question now is whether the 250th celebration can actually function as the nonpartisan civic event organizers claim when the president keeps using it as a rally backdrop."
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