Donald Trump’s well-documented ability to destroy everything he touches has come for what should have been the easiest of tasks: making the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence fun. If there is one thing the world’s oldest democracy is good at, it’s throwing Independence Day parties, hosting outdoor concerts, and filling out state fairs with charmingly schlocky entertainment and ice cream stands. Producing the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., was considered such a layup for the Trump-led Freedom 250 organizers that it’s no surprise Fox News, eager to showcase a MAGA win, set up a broadcast tower, seemingly intent on giving the event wall-to-wall coverage for its full 16-day run.
As anyone who has been on social media can attest, this was a mistake. Clip after clip has gone viral of Fox News hosts claiming huge crowds in front of a live backdrop showing that few are bothering to show up. The initial roster of musical performers, which mostly consisted of nostalgia acts from the 1980s and 1990s, dropped out, leaving Trump to insist his mere presence would be enough to draw massive crowds. Instead, NBC News estimated that about 1,000 people attended the opening ceremony, far short of the 45,000 the president pretended had swarmed to hear his usual tired, whining speech. A poorly constructed plywood-and-vinyl version of the 166-foot stone arch he has proposed building as a monument to himself was hastily erected — and immediately started falling apart. The only Trump-driven project that seems to be drawing the crowds is his disastrous repainting of the Reflecting Pool, which people are visiting to mock, resulting in the arrests of at least seven.
