A Partisan Snub of America’s Birthday

The Great American State Fair, which will take place on the National Mall from June 25 through July 10, is set to be one of the most historic patriotic celebrations in American history. But in yet another liberal temper tantrum over President Donald Trump, at least nine Democrat-run states have said they won’t send official delegations to the country’s 250th birthday bash.

The fair is expected to draw millions of visitors and should be a bipartisan celebration of American history and culture, with live music, special exhibits, interactive displays, and even a recently announced rodeo. But the Democrat governors of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maine, Illinois, Oregon, Washington, and North Carolina are all acting as if the “united” in United States comes with a Trump-era exception clause.

They’re coming up with one pithy excuse after another for why they’re effectively boycotting the event. Some states are pleading poverty over costs, while others are recycling a far-fetched complaint that the national invite to celebrate our founding has become partisan. But ultimately, it just comes down to that now-familiar ailment of Trump Derangement Syndrome.

The office of Oregon Democrat Governor Tina Kotek whined to the media that “the event in Washington, D.C. is shaping up to be a more partisan affair than originally presented.” That is the oldest trick in the political communications playbook: accuse your opponents of the very thing you are doing, then pretend your own childish meltdown is a matter of principle.

The accusations of “partisanship” are utter nonsense. The fair would have likely never happened if it wasn’t for President Trump’s greater vision for the festivities. Freedom 250, the nonprofit subsidiary of the National Park Service, is organizing the fair and was established last year following a Trump executive order when it was discovered the prior planning for the nation’s birthday was severely lacking.

The fair is meant to be a living expression of “E pluribus unum,” a reminder that out of many states, cultures, and peoples comes one nation whose greatness is worth preserving and defending.

Indiana Republican Governor Mike Braun called the boycott “very disappointing,” noting that each state has something distinct to offer. “There are 50 of us, each has got its own unique personality,” Braun said. Then he added a little Midwestern needling: maybe some Democrat-led states are staying home because the fair will create a “gentle competition among us,” he suggested, noting that those states opting out do not have much worth showing off.

The complaint about cost is equally laughable. Democrats who rarely meet a government expense they dislike are now suddenly fiscal hawks over an event in the nation’s capital celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

“Connecticut’s decision to decline participation in the Great American State Fair came down to resources,” a spokesperson for Connecticut’s Democrat Governor Ned Lamont told the media. “The federal government has asked states to foot the bill to participate, including staffing a multiweek exhibition.” Meanwhile, Connecticut spends more than $100 million every year on “free” healthcare for illegal aliens.

North Carolina’s Democrat leadership opted out after calculating a $100,000 expense and claiming in a statement to the media that the state “decided early in the process that we do not have the capacity to participate.”

This is utterly shameful. Every honest observer knows these same Democrats would spare no expense if Kamala Harris were presiding over the celebration as president.

And according to Freedom 250 organizers, the booths and pavilions have already been built for each state. The only real responsibility left to participating states is funding the decorations for their exhibits.

This is hardly the unbearable fiscal hardship these Democrats want people to believe it is.

The good news is that Freedom 250 organizers are determined to keep the celebration bigger than the partisan no-shows. They said visitors can expect every state to be represented one way or another, whether by a governor’s office, tourism board, notable company, museum, or local organization.

Illinois is a fitting example. While Democrat state leaders backed away from an official delegation, the Peoria Riverfront Museum volunteered to represent Illinois at the fair. A state official confirmed with the media that the museum is doing so without using state funds, which makes the budget excuse look even more petty.

The state boycotts by some Democrat governors are only part of the story. With recent news of some musical artists also backing out, the pattern is impossible to miss. The Left is trying to spoil the celebration for everyone simply because President Trump is involved.

At some point, Democrat hatred of Trump becomes impossible to distinguish from contempt for the country he is asking everyone to come together to celebrate. This is America’s 250th birthday! It belongs to every state, every citizen, and every generation that has inherited the blessings of 1776.

These Democrat-led states think they are embarrassing President Trump.

Instead, they look like children taking their ball and going home, only to discover the rest of America kept playing and rejoicing over the miracle of this nation.

W.J. Lee has served in the White House, NASA, on multiple campaigns, and in nearly all levels of government.