6 States Opt Out Of Trump’s ‘Great American State Fair,’ A Celebration Of All 50 States
Here’s a question: Does anyone who isn’t a MAGA supporter, a GOP official with MAGA constituents, or a billionaire who is being further enriched amid the MAGA movement want anything to do with any event tied to President Donald Trump? Since Trump’s disastrous second term began, numerous musicians and other big-name celebrities have canceled their appearances at the Kennedy Center — which, until recently, was renamed to include Trump in its title, musicians have demanded over and over again that he stop playing their music at his events, numerous non-current recording artists refused to take part in his Freedom 250 celebration, and several current celebs have reportedly declined to take part in the UFC event the president is planning on the White House lawn.
Now, several states have opted not to participate in Trump’s “Great American State Fair” because a MAGA rally by any other name is still a MAGA rally.
From CNN:
Officials from Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts, Illinois, North Carolina and Connecticut told CNN they declined an invitation from the Trump administration to showcase their states at the giant fairgrounds being built on the National Mall. Pennsylvania has yet to decide whether it will participate.
While officials said their states’ decisions were largely due to costs, a spokesperson for Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, a Democrat, pointed to concerns about the partisan nature of the event, set to open June 25 and last about two weeks.
“The State of Oregon will not be participating in the Great American State Fair due to both the cost of participating in the Fair and growing concerns that the event in Washington D.C. is shaping up to be a more partisan affair than originally presented,” spokesperson Luke Harkin said.
Interestingly enough, all six states — Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts, Illinois, Connecticut and North Carolina — are states where officials fought legal battles against the Trump administration in cases regarding immigration enforcement and/or illegal National Guard Deployments. According to USA Today, Maine, where officials and residents also clashed with federal immigration agents over ICE operations in the state, also declined to take part in the event.
According to an event spokesperson, all 50 states will still be represented in the “Great American State Fair” — which, along with the UFC event, is part of the Freedom 250 celebration that has consistently proven to be a famous person repellent — regardless of states that opt not to participate.
“What we can say is that every state’s story will be told in a way that’s authentic to its people, history, and culture,” the spokesperson told CNN, “Whether represented by a governor’s office, a tourism board, or a beloved state company or organization, every community will be celebrated.”
Still, it says a lot that entire states are refusing to participate in any event associated with the most unpopular president in U.S. history.
Is it a state fair, or a sad state of affairs? Apparently, it’s both.
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Trump Wants To ‘Cancel’ Freedom 250 Festival As Most Acts Drop Out