Trump Humiliated as Visitors Expose Empty Fair’s Many Failures

The Great American State Fair isn’t so great after all.

Opening weekend for The Great American State Fair, put on by Donald Trump’s event organization Freedom 250, was more or less a flop. While much of that was due to sparse crowds, those who did attend the fair had their fair share of criticisms.

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“I’ve been going to state fairs for most of my life, I’m from Minnesota,” they went on, referencing the Minnesota State Fair, which consistently ranks as the No. 1 fair in the region.

“And so seeing what a really thought-out, well-done state fair looks like—it’s an incredible experience.”

Such criticisms were commonplace at Trump’s D.C. event after it opened Wednesday. Power outages on the first day knocked out the food hall, melting ice cream, while generator problems briefly shut down the Ferris wheel.

Several performers also pulled out before the event. Vanilla Ice, who did not join the exodus of artists canceling their shows, had his own performance at the fair canceled anyway because of bad weather.

What’s more, extreme heat and rain forced organizers to temporarily close the fair Sunday afternoon. When they announced the shutdown on a digital billboard, organizers urged attendees to check for updates on the social media channels of “Freeedom 250”—misspelling the organization’s name with an extra E—prompting a fresh wave of online ridicule.

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While the weather was beyond Trump’s control, Virginia resident Anita told The New Republic she was frustrated by the lack of preparation.

“Kind of disappointing they don’t have anywhere to sit, especially if you get food—you’re just standing,” she said. “Right now, we’re being postponed because of lightning. Where are we all supposed to go? We drove two hours, we’re not just gonna go jump in the car. It’s kinda sad there’s not a backup plan.”

Another attendee chimed in, delivering what might be the ultimate blow to Trump.

“I think if [Trump] wanted to make a bigger splash, he should’ve gotten Disney, or somebody who knows how to do this,” Haven, another D.C. resident, told the outlet.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump, for his part, has not taken the constructive feedback well. On Monday morning, he fired off a Truth Social post alluding to the criticism.

“Do you think people appreciate what a fantastic job we did in building and operating the Great American State Fair at the National Mall, packed with happy people, and everybody loving it?” he opened his 6:27 a.m. Truth Social post.