2026-06-11T04:00:07.662Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/11/politics/several-states-not-participating-trump-state-fair
俄勒冈州、华盛顿州和北卡罗来纳州已拒绝参加6月25日在国家广场开幕的唐纳德·特朗普总统“美国大州博览会”。
官员们大多以成本为由拒绝参与，不过俄勒冈州也表达了担忧，认为该活动比最初宣传的更具党派色彩。
“自由250”组织表示，即使没有州政府直接参与，仍将通过其他机构代表全美50个州参展。
唐纳德·特朗普总统将“美国大州博览会”宣传为一场爱国主义世界博览会，将设有美国所有州和领地的展馆——但多个美国州将不会参与其中。
俄勒冈州、华盛顿州和北卡罗来纳州的官员告诉CNN，他们拒绝了特朗普政府的邀请，不会在国家广场搭建的大型展会上展示本州风貌。宾夕法尼亚州尚未决定是否参展。
尽管官员们表示，各州的决定主要源于成本问题，但俄勒冈州民主党州长蒂娜·科特克的发言人指出，人们担忧这场定于6月25日开幕、持续约两周的活动党派色彩愈发浓厚。
“俄勒冈州不会参加‘美国大州博览会’，原因既有参与该博览会的成本，也有越来越多的担忧：华盛顿特区的这场活动最终会比最初宣传的更具党派性质，”发言人卢克·哈金说道。
但“自由250”的一名发言人告诉CNN，即使部分州不参与，全美50个州和领地仍将得到展示，相关细节仍在“积极敲定中”。
“我们可以确认的是，每个州的故事都将以贴合本州人民、历史和文化的真实方式呈现，”该发言人说道，并补充道，“无论是通过州长办公室、旅游局，还是受人喜爱的州内企业或组织进行展示，每个社区都将得到庆祝。”
“自由250”是与特朗普结盟的非营利组织，负责筹办这场博览会以及总统支持的其他众多纪念建国250周年的活动。
特朗普在美国建国250周年庆祝活动中占据了核心地位，并利用其总统职权推动符合他国家愿景的项目、资金和主题。
其中多项活动引发了争议。本月早些时候，原定参演的艺术家退出后，博览会被迫取消了开幕音乐会。
本届政府还因本周在白宫举办的纪念建国250周年终极格斗冠军赛（UFC）受到民主党批评，民主党人士认为政府应更专注于降低民众生活成本。
与此同时，“自由250”大力宣传博览会的州参与度，并坚称这将是一场全美国人民的庆祝活动。该组织向CNN分享了21个州已提交的展馆设计效果图。这些设计包括南卡罗来纳州的迷你高尔夫球场、德克萨斯州的阿拉莫复制品以及蒙大拿州的化石挖掘体验站等。
CNN已联系数十个州确认其参展意向。
2023年竞选期间，特朗普首次提出举办州博览会的计划。时隔多年，他的愿景即将实现。
6月25日至7月10日期间，装饰有新古典主义圆柱的大型白色帐篷将容纳数十个州展馆。其他规划还包括按比例缩小的特朗普提议的250英尺“凯旋门”复制品，以及一座巨大的110英尺高摩天轮。“自由250”还表示，活动将包含电影放映、音乐表演和军用飞机通场。
提交给“自由250”的设计效果图体现了各州的历史和文化遗产。
亚利桑那州的展馆将沉浸式还原该州著名羚羊峡谷的波浪状砂岩岩壁。在密歇根州，参观者有机会体验机械挤奶牛；在明尼苏达州，游客可以从装满该州官方鸟类普通潜鸟迷你模型的池塘中挑选，赢取奖品。
在怀俄明州的展馆，游客可通过增强现实头戴设备体验该州传统运动——牛仔竞技。怀俄明州博览会总经理兼怀俄明州展馆负责人考特尼·海因斯将这场博览会描述为千载难逢的活动，并表示自己很期待参与。
“每个州都有各自的特色标识，所以无论我们的邻居是谁，我们都很高兴能和他们以及其他州和领地的伙伴交朋友，”她说道。
特朗普与建国250周年纪念活动
一名了解筹备情况的人士透露，“自由250”将承担每个展位和展馆的搭建费用，但参与州需自行承担展馆装饰的费用。
负责北卡罗来纳州建国250周年规划的组织发言人表示，该州收到了邀请，但“由于参与所需的开支，北卡罗来纳州无法出席”。
“我们有限的资源将集中在北卡罗来纳州各地的建国250周年纪念活动上，”她说道。
俄勒冈州官员在与“自由250”讨论博览会时指出，成本是“一大顾虑”。“我们已经确定俄勒冈州无法参与这场博览会，”一名州官员在CNN获取的一封发给该组织的邮件中写道。这位俄勒冈州官员表示，7万美元的运输成本“大幅”超出了该州的预期。
拒绝参与的州均由民主党州长执政。
尽管各州的展馆展示并无党派倾向，但特朗普的文化议程将在博览会上占据重要位置，总统本人将亲自出席开幕集会。
特朗普将这场活动描述为“终极集会”，这一决定是在上周原定的演出活动参演音乐人退出后作出的。
“我们不想要那些毫无才华、只拿高额出场费却让观众昏昏欲睡的歌手，我们已经让他们都待在家里，”特朗普在Truth Social平台上写道，“我们想要的只有你们、我、几位演讲者，以及大家多年来一直聆听的最棒的音乐！”
在发给CNN的一份声明中，“自由250”为特朗普在建国250周年庆祝活动中的核心地位辩护，并表示长期以来总统们都会在国家建国纪念活动中发挥作用——从尤利西斯·S·格兰特出席1876年百年庆典，到杰拉尔德·福特出席1976年二百周年庆典。
“我们自豪地欢迎特朗普总统，他对庆祝美国及其爱国主义传统展现出了真正的热情，正如我们会欢迎任何一位在任总统一样，”“自由250”发言人雷切尔·赖斯纳说道。
但批评人士认为，此次庆祝活动与以往没有如此明显政治色彩的全国纪念活动有所不同。监督组织对“自由250”缺乏透明度表示担忧。
作为国家公园基金会的非营利子公司，“自由250”无需披露其捐赠者信息。
两名弗吉尼亚州居民已提起诉讼，要求阻止白宫举办的UFC赛事。
美国司法部律师周二告诉联邦法官，该诉讼提起得太晚，不足以成为司法干预的理由，并且如果裁定阻止这场定于本周末举行的赛事，将颠覆数月来的精心筹备，给总统、数千名观众以及十多名运动员在内的多方带来不合理的负担。本届政府仍在等待该诉讼的裁决结果。
公共雇员环境责任组织（PEER）执行董事蒂姆·怀特豪斯告诉CNN，特朗普的“党派活动”“并非美国人民在建国250周年纪念日应得的庆祝方式”。
PEER已就特朗普政府拒绝披露“自由250”相关关键文件一事提起诉讼，该组织根据《信息自由法》要求获取这些文件。周二，一名联邦法官下令政府在6月26日前对该组织的诉求作出回应。
“这并不是说‘美国大博览会’、UFC赛事或作为建国250周年庆祝活动一部分的汽车比赛本身不合适，”怀特豪斯说道，“问题在于它们的运作和管理方式，存在腐败、不透明的问题。”
Several states are bowing out of Trump’s ‘Great American State Fair’
2026-06-11T04:00:07.662Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/11/politics/several-states-not-participating-trump-state-fair
Oregon, Washington and North Carolina have declined invitations to participate in President Donald Trump’s Great American State Fair opening June 25 on the National Mall.
Officials largely cited costs as the reason, though Oregon also expressed concerns about the event becoming more partisan than originally presented.
Freedom 250 says all 50 states will still be represented through other organizations, even without direct state government participation.
President Donald Trump has billed the “Great American State Fair” as a patriotic World’s Fair featuring pavilions created by every US state and territory – but several US states will not participate.
Officials from Oregon, Washington, and North Carolina 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.
But all 50 states and territories will be represented even if some states don’t provide input, and details are still being “actively finalized,” a spokesperson for Freedom 250 told CNN.
“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 said, adding, “Whether represented by a governor’s office, a tourism board, or a beloved state company or organization, every community will be celebrated.”
Freedom 250 is the Trump-aligned nonprofit putting together the fair and a plethora of other 250th events backed by the president.
Trump has loomed large over celebrations of America’s semiquincentennial and has used the power of his office to direct programs, funding and themes that fit with his vision of the country.
Several of them have run into controversy. Earlier this month, the fair was forced to jettison an opening concert following the withdrawal of artists who were due to perform.
The administration has also been hit with criticism over its Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the White House this week, held in honor of the 250th, by Democrats who say the government should be more focused on lowering costs.
Meanwhile, Freedom 250 is touting the level of state participation in the fair and insisted that it will be a celebration for all Americans. The group shared with CNN rendering of pavilions that 21 states have already proposed. They show designs including a mini-golf course for South Carolina, a replica of the Alamo for Texas and a fossil digging station for Montana, among others.
CNN has reached out to dozens of states to confirm their participation.
On the campaign trail in 2023, Trump first floated plans for a state fair. Years later, his vision will be realized.
From June 25 through July 10, large white tents decorated with neo-classical columns will house dozens of state pavilions. Other plans include a scaled-down replica of Trump’s proposed 250-foot ‘triumphal arch’ and an enormous 110-foot Ferris wheel. Freedom 250 has also said there will be movie screenings, musical performances and military flyovers.
The renderings submitted to Freedom 250 reflect states’ histories and heritage.
Arizona’s pavilion will include an immersive reproduction of the wave-like sandstone walls found at the state’s famous Antelope Canyon. In Michigan, visitors will get a chance to see a mechanical milking cow, while in Minnesota, they’ll win prizes by selecting from a pond full of miniature versions of the North Star State’s official bird, the Common Loon.
At Wyoming’s pavilion, visitors will be able to try their hand at competing in rodeo, the state’s sport, through augmented reality headsets. Courtny Hinds, general manager of the Wyoming State Fair and Wyoming’s State Pavilion Lead, described the fair as a once-in-a-lifetime event that she was excited to attend.
“Every single state kind of has their own pieces of their identity, so whoever our neighbors will be, we’re excited to make friends with them and the rest of states and territories too,” she said.
Trump and 250
A person familiar with planning said that Freedom 250 paid for the build out of each booth and pavilion, but participating states were tasked with funding the decorations for their tents.
A spokesperson for the group responsible for North Carolina’s 250 planning said the state was invited “but due to the expenditures required to participate, the state is unable to attend.”
“Our limited resources are focused on America 250 events across North Carolina,” she said.
Oregon officials cited cost as “a big concern” when discussing the fair with Freedom 250. “We have determined Oregon cannot participate in the fair,” a state official told the organization in an email obtained by CNN. The Oregon official said that a $70,000 shipping cost was “substantially” higher than what the state had anticipated.
The states that have declined to participate are all led by Democratic governors.
Though the states’ displays are nonpartisan, Trump’s cultural agenda will feature heavily over the fair, which is being kicked off with a rally by the president himself.
The decision to hold what he described as “A Rally to end all Rallies!” came last week after musicians pulled out of a performance that was originally planned.
“We don’t want singers with no talent, but big fees to put you to sleep, we’ve told them all to stay home,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “All we want is you, me, a few speakers, and the Greatest Music ever played, the same Music you have listened to for years!”
In a statement to CNN, Freedom 250 defended Trump’s prominent place in the 250th celebrations and said that presidents have long played a role at commemorations of the nation’s founding — from Ulysses S. Grant at the Centennial in 1876 to Gerald Ford at the Bicentennial in 1976.
“We proudly welcome President Trump, who has shown genuine enthusiasm for celebrating America and its patriotic traditions, just as we would have welcomed any sitting president,” said Freedom 250 spokesperson Rachel Reisner.
But critics have argued that the celebrations depart from past national celebrations that did not have such overt political overtones. Watchdog groups have raised alarm about the lack of transparency around Freedom 250.
As a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Park Foundation, Freedom 250 does not have to disclose its donors.
Two Virginia residents have filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the UFC fight at the White House.
Justice Department lawyers told a federal judge Tuesday that the suit was brought too late to justify judicial intervention and that a ruling blocking the event, which is set to take place this coming weekend, would upend months of careful planning and unfairly burden a host of parties including the president, thousands of spectators and more than a dozen athletes. The administration is still awaiting a ruling in the suit.
Tim Whitehouse, the executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) told CNN that Trump’s “partisan events” are “not what the American people deserve on their 250th birthday.”
PEER has sued the Trump administration over its refusal to release key documents related to Freedom 250 that the group is seeking under the Freedom of Information Act. On Tuesday, a federal judge ordered the administration to respond to the group’s complaint on or before June 26.
“It’s not to say that a Great American Fair or UFC fight or a car race as part of our 250th celebrations isn’t appropriate,” Whitehouse said. “It’s the way they’re being handled and managed in a sort of a corrupt, non-transparent way.”