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Freedom 250 on the Mall
A 16-day Freedom 250 fair has descended on the National Mall as the United States marks its 250th independence anniversary, with the event opening June 25 and running through the week following July 4.
The fair, nearly all of the two-mile stretch between the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument, has drawn sparse attendance despite being free to attend, and it includes a ferriswheel, a small triumphalarch, musical performances and religious presentations.
Opponents have criticized Trump for tying America’s 250th birthday to his politics, while attendees described the event as largely nonpolitical despite it being hosted by Freedom 250, a White House-backed alternative to the bipartisan America 250 organization.
A spokesperson for Freedom 250 told The Hill that over 200,000 people had attended the fair so far, though that number has not been independently verified.
The fair’s launch was roiled by controversy after several musical performers, including Young MC and The Commodores, cancelled their planned performances ahead of the event, citing concerns that it was more politically charged and tied to Trump than officials initially let on.
Fraud claims and denials
House Democrats raised the possibility of fraud by consultants tied to President Donald Trump, saying donors who wanted to support the nation's bipartisan 250th anniversary organizer were tricked into sending their money instead to a rival group set up by his administration.
The Democratic report says donors intending to contribute funds to America250 were instead given the banking and routing numbers for Freedom 250, and it describes Freedom 250 as set up under the auspices of Trump's Republican administration to be "a vehicle for a Christian nationalist, partisan, and Trump-centered vision of American identity."
Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., said, "But I do know the elements of fraud, and there is evidence of all those elements here," as the report recounted a bait-and-switch that could have violated criminal statutes.
Freedom 250 spokesperson Danielle Alvarez dismissed the Democrats' report as "categorically false" and a "partisan smear from politicians who would rather manufacture division" than celebrate a national milestone.
The White House did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment, while the Democrats contended Trump hijacked the nation's 250th birthday celebration and redirected tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer money and private donations.
UFC gala, court fight, and stakes
Americans opposed to holding a UFC mixed martial arts gala on the White House South Lawn next Sunday asked a federal court to block the event, arguing the permit granted by the National Park Service and the Interior Department is illegal.
The lawsuit, filed Saturday by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of two Washington-area residents, sought to halt construction of a temporary metal structure nicknamed The Claw, described as weighing around 550,000 kilograms and 47 meters wide and topped by a 28-meter-high illuminated arch.
In a statement, the White House denounced the effort as "an obstructionist, unfounded, and dilatory attempt" to prevent Donald Trump from hosting the fights, while the event is officially part of the celebrations marking the 250th anniversary and coincides with Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.
The court fight came alongside a broader dispute over how the anniversary is being staged, as a federal judge rejected a request to block the event for lack of standing, with Decrypt reporting that District Judge Amit Mehta ruled plaintiffs "lacked standing and had waited too long to seek emergency relief."
Crypto companies are also positioned around the UFC spectacle, with Decrypt saying VeChain, Polymarket, and Stake will display their logos on the UFC Octagon and that Crypto.com is co-presenting the event and will offer $1 million in CRO as a record bonus for Fight of the Night, according to CEO Dana White.
