All the Wildest Photos From Trump’s State Fair Flop
The event, meant to be a patriotic celebration of America’s 250th birthday, featured extreme temperatures, power outages, and sparse crowds.
Getty Images/Reuters
Friday, July 10, brings to a close one of the most perfect visual representations of Donald Trump’s second presidency to date.
With his D.C. makeover already falling into disrepair and his approval ratings in the gutter, the 80-year-old attempted to drum up some national positivity with the party to end them all: the Great American State Fair.
“It’s going to be great. It’s going to be unbelievable,” the president promised on the National Mall as he launched the event on June 25 with a MAGA-style rally.
The issues actually began before Trump kicked off the festivities with a rally on June 25. Internal communications obtained by NOTUS showed multiple states were frustrated by the pace of planning, insurance requirements, participation costs, and shifting logistics.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
It was supposed to be a celebration of all things American. But the reality was far from “great.”
The Daily Beast stopped by (again) on Thursday, July 9, and confirmed that it was still a wet blanket. “It’s hard to believe it’s still open—but it is,” our political correspondent Farrah Tomazin wrote after her visit.
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Freedom 250, a Trump-based public-private partnership that organized, funded, and operated the Great American State Fair, painted a much rosier picture. “In just the first three days alone, more than 150,000 visitors showed up to see everything this country has to offer,” Freedom 250 spokesperson Danielle Alvarez told the Daily Beast. “People from Colorado to California, New York to Arizona, Wisconsin to Michigan to Guam made this a tremendous success despite the media’s best efforts to dampen spirits. The fact is Freedom 250 produced historic events this summer while America 250 did nothing. Here’s to another 250!”
The issues with the allegedly bipartisan celebration started almost immediately, and the festivities, if you can call them that, finally limped to a close on Friday.
Here, we take a look at the photos that capture President Donald Trump’s gigantic flop in all its glory...
Before opening: Performers begin pulling out. Several scheduled acts, including Martina McBride (pictured), Bret Michaels, Morris Day, and Young MC, withdrew after saying they had been told the event was nonpartisan and later learned of its ties to the Trump-backed Freedom 250 celebration. “I had no clue it was considered a ‘Trump-backed’ event, so that was new to me,” Young MC said. In reaction, Trump posted on Truth Social to slam the “third-rate artists” who backed out of the festival and later stepped in to headline with his rambling speech.
Rich Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images
A scale replica of President Donald Trump’s 250-foot-tall “Triumphal Arch” stands in the middle of the National Mall. The issues persisted after the fair started on June 25. It was marred by power outages, ride delays, melted ice cream, and other operational glitches.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
A power outage hit the empty food pavilion at the fair, not long after it kicked off. “Food hall at Great American State Fair has lost power - they have food but tell me all their ice cream has melted😭,” Fox 5 DC reporter Homa Bash revealed. Additionally, reporter Ben Brasch noted on X, “the lights keep turning off and then power back up in one of the food tents.”
Farrah Tomazin/The Daily Beast
... In addition, the only food stalls open at the beginning of the festivities were turkey legs for $23, a smash cheeseburger for $20, and a giant Western sausage for $20. A drink of lemonade, additionally, cost $9.
Cheney Orr/Reuters
Sparse crowds became a running joke. Reporters and visitors described underwhelming attendance, with photos of empty walkways and exhibits spreading online. Axios wrote that Washington had a “new pastime” roasting the fair.
Andrew Leyden/Getty Images
Great American State Fair, Thursday, July 9. The Daily Beast entered the fair just before noon, and there were no lines. Trump has been fast and loose with reporting attendance figures. Last week, he wrote on Truth Social that the crowd had been “packed to the brim” with “at least 45,000 people.”
Farrah Tomazin/The Daily Beast
A band plays to an audience of one, the Daily Beast’s Farrah Tomazin. “It’s hard to believe it’s still open—but it is,” she said after her visit on Thursday, July 9.
Farrah Tomazin/The Daily Beast
Empty lawns marked the first day of the “Great American State Fair” on the National Mall.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
A woman stands in a pile of ice to cool off. Now, you can’t blame Trump and the organizers on the weather, but visitors complained of limited shade and long lines for cooling areas. Temperatures topping 100 degrees led to at least 11 hospitalizations, dozens of medical calls, and a temporary early closure of the fair on the Fourth of July weekend. This happened on Thursday, too.
Cheney Orr/Reuters
Don't worry, he's fine. Just hot.
Joe Lamberti for The Washington Post via Getty Images
The Ferris wheel proved popular, but it malfunctioned early on. It was temporarily taken offline amid the fair’s opening-day electrical problems, with organizers attributing the interruption to technical issues rather than a defect with the ride itself. Also, it was a victim of its own popularity. Some people passed out due to the heat while waiting for it.
Finn Gomez/Getty Images
A woman is treated by DC Fire and EMS after collapsing while standing in line for the Ferris Wheel.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
A person records the extreme heat at the fair... where a small bottle of water cost $5.
Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images
I stopped by the North Carolina booth at the "Great American State Fair" on the National Mall today.
— Reuben Jones (@ReubenJones1) June 26, 2026
The state decided not to participate because of the high costs so the booth is sponsored by private orgs. pic.twitter.com/tsnU9GjOYO
Each state was encouraged to set up a booth, showcasing what it is famed for. North Carolina decided not to participate due to high costs, so the booth was sponsored by private organizations. That led to a controversy over the Confederate flag after one of the companies displayed it in the Tar Heel State's booth. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein told WRAL News that “this flag does not represent the North Carolina we love. America 250 is about unity and bringing our nation together.”
@ReubenJones1
The section for the state of Massachusetts was, well, just look.
Nathan Howard/Reuters
The very basic Hawaii and Alaska exhibits at the fair. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) accused the president of using the fair to “get money into his own pocket.” “He invited all of the states to participate and wants to charge us—charge us—to go down and put something on his exhibit, whatever he’s creating for Freedom 250,” she said. “It’s just ridiculous.”
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
Earlier this month, a rehearsal at the Great American State Fair was abruptly halted after a section of the main stage came crashing down dangerously close to the dancers. At least one of the dancers seemed to see the object in mid-air before it hit the stage, and ran out of the way. “We’re grateful to report that everyone is safe," a Freedom 250 spokesperson said.
Aaron Parnas/X
The stage is falling apart at the rehearsal for Freedom 250's July 4th celebration. pic.twitter.com/bPbg94hp6X
— Aaron Parnas (@AaronParnas) July 2, 2026
Molly Collins, front, and Tiffany Couch, back, perform a baptism for Laura Oxendine during the Great American State Fair at David’s Tent.
Tyler M. Andrews/The Washington Post via Getty Images
A woman tries to lasso a fake bull at the Wyoming tent at the Great American State Fair after it was reopened following an earlier closure due to extreme temperatures.
Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images
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