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House Democrats accuse Freedom 250 of 'hijacking' America's 250th

politicsJul 3, 202627299

House Democrats on the Natural Resources Committee released a 55-page report titled "From Vanity to Insanity: How the White House Cheated the American People out of their 250th Birthday," accusing Freedom 250 of steering America’s semiofficial 250th anniversary toward President Donald Trump’s personal and political interests. The report, led publicly by Rep. Jared Huffman, says its findings rely on unnamed whistleblowers, sworn Congressional testimony, internal Freedom 250 documents and other written responses. Freedom 250, created by executive order and incorporated as an LLC in October 2025 under the National Park Foundation, has organized high-profile events including a UFC fight outside the White House, a Great American State Fair on the National Mall, a July Fourth fireworks show that opened with a Trump rally, and a planned "Patriot Games." Democrats say Freedom 250 supplanted the congressionally created, bipartisan America250 commission and used opaque fundraising, including soliciting foreign funds, misleading donors and selling access to the president, while awarding contracts to allies. The report accuses the group of sanitizing history and promoting an overtly Christian bent at some events and calls the tactics potentially criminal fraud. The White House declined comment through Freedom 250, and Freedom 250 told NPR it does not speak for the White House.

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