Donald Trump’s administration is asking Congress for another $10 million to help cover the cost of this summer’s Freedom 250 celebrations.
The request, first reported by The Washington Post, would reimburse the National Park Service for expenses linked to the Rededicate 250 prayer event, the Great American State Fair, and the July Fourth Salute to America on Washington’s National Mall.
The funding demand comes despite Republicans already allocating $150 million in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill for Interior Department events tied to America’s 250th anniversary.
The White House-backed Freedom 250 organization launched the celebrations in June, with Trump promising the festivities would be “great” and “unbelievable.”
Instead, some of the events, particularly the 16-day Great American State Fair, were plagued by problems.
Triple-digit temperatures forced an early closure during Independence Day weekend after at least 11 people were hospitalized and dozens more required medical attention. Visitors also faced power outages, a malfunctioning Ferris wheel and high food prices, including $23 turkey legs, $20 cheeseburgers, and $9 lemonade.
Attendance also became a point of contention. Trump claimed on Truth Social that the event was “packed to the brim” with “at least 45,000 people,” despite reports of thin crowds.
The fair also drew criticism after states were asked to pay for their own exhibition booths. North Carolina declined to fund one, leaving private sponsors to step in. That decision sparked controversy when one exhibitor displayed a Confederate flag.
Gov. Josh Stein condemned the display, saying: “This flag does not represent the North Carolina we love. America 250 is about unity and bringing our nation together.”
The administration says the additional money is needed largely for security. The Interior Department told The Washington Post the funding would help cover increased safety costs, citing recent threats against high-profile public events, including a UFC event outside the White House and the attempted shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
But Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley, the senior Democrat on the Senate subcommittee responsible for funding the National Mall, which hosted the Freedom 250 celebrations, accused the administration of asking taxpayers to rescue a project that was supposed to rely partly on private funding.
“It is unacceptable to ask the American people to bail out Freedom 250,” Merkley wrote. “Congress already appropriated $150 million—without bipartisan input—with the administration promising that private donors would help finance the rest.”
Merkley has also requested a detailed accounting of how the original funding was spent and why additional money is now required.
The White House and the Interior Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
