Even Trump Supporters Are Trashing His Empty State Fair

Politics admin July 1, 2026 0 Comments

Even Trump Supporters Are Trashing His Empty State Fair

Even some of Donald Trump’s own supporters have admitted they are underwhelmed by the president’s self-hyped Great American State Fair in D.C.

Trump’s 16-day spectacle on the National Mall, which opened on June 25, was intended to showcase all 50 states as the centerpiece of the Trump administration’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

But several states led by Democratic governors have boycotted the event, while others have opted out due to the high cost to taxpayers or have not been able to secure businesses willing to sponsor a booth. Several musicians also pulled out of planned performances over concerns that the event had become too political.

The Daily Beast found huge stretches of the grounds largely empty despite organizers expecting thousands of visitors—a humiliating blow to Trump, 80, who launched the event with a MAGA rally last week. Even some attendees who support the president say the event has failed to live up to expectations.

“I grew up with state fairs in Iowa, and this is really disappointing,” Holly Lewis, 57, a travel agent from Richmond, Virginia, told The Telegraph while visiting the Maine stall with her daughter.

“This should have been the highlight of my life,” Lewis said. “This should have been like the World Exposition. But most of the states are a bit of a disappointment. It would have been really good if FIFA had run this. This feels like a silent protest.”

Another Trump supporter, Wiley Larsen, who was counting visitors at the Arizona booth, suggested the president’s policies had hurt attendance.

“I think we would have had a lot more people if Trump wasn’t president,” Larsen told The Telegraph. “I think he’s doing a lot of great things,” he added, while acknowledging Trump’s divisiveness.

Ari Drumm, 58, a salesman from Florida, blamed “Trump Derangement Syndrome” for the no-show states and sparse crowds.

“It’s a disgrace,” he said. “We should be together in this. We should be 50 united states and this is not very unified.”

The fair has also drawn criticism over its ties to Freedom250, the pro-Trump organization behind the event.

In 2016, Congress established America250, a bipartisan commission tasked with organizing nonpartisan events to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary. However, after returning to office last year, Trump established Freedom250 to coordinate anniversary celebrations, including the Great American State Fair.

Critics have accused the Trump administration of diverting funding from America250 to Freedom250 and argue that the anniversary celebrations have become overly centered on the president.

The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.