With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner
Good Friday morning. This is Sophia Cai, about to brave the heat to hop on an Amtrak to Philly for the weekend. They’re letting me drive today and we have some fun stuff in store for you. (Tell me how you’re spending the Fourth of all Fourths.)
In today’s Playbook …
— Donald Trump swooped in to take control of America’s 250th.
— Inside Melania Trump’s ambitious policymaking agenda.
— The Boldfaces: Andrew Giuliani, Markwayne Mullin, Marc Beckman, Ruben Gallego, Ken Burns, Dan Sullivan, Jeremy Lewin, Laura Loomer, Mitch McConnell and more.
Tomorrow, America turns 250. But the celebration Americans will see isn’t quite the one organizers spent the last decade planning.
For nearly 10 years, the bipartisan, congressionally chartered America250 envisioned a once-in-a-generation civic commemoration built around history, service and local communities.
One America250 planning document imagined transforming the tiny Badlands town of Medora, North Dakota — population roughly 150 — into a living museum recreating Theodore Roosevelt’s frontier experience. It hoped to draw 250,000 visitors for a nationally televised celebration on July 1 featuring A-list performers, immersive historical programming, a drone spectacular and, ultimately, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library’s grand opening.
Instead, the opening went on this week with President Donald Trump — but without America250.
“The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library was one of America250’s first signed partners and we have been supportive since before its groundbreaking,” an America250 spokesperson told Playbook. “However, America250 is not participating in the opening ceremonies.”
The spokesperson said America250 had hoped to support the opening if it received an additional $25 million in federal funding. That money never came.
Of the $150 million Congress appropriated for America’s 250th festivities, organizers expected to receive roughly $100 million but have received just $25 million to date.
Into the void stepped Freedom250, the organization aligned with Trump’s White House Task Force 250, which became a principal partner for the library opening.
A similar story unfolded 1,600 miles away in Washington.
The Smithsonian Institution had spent years planning a monthlong Folklife Festival on the National Mall — an ambitious gathering that would have brought together traditions like Burning Man and Farm Aid alongside local and regional festivals from across the U.S. and its territories.
Instead, that space on the National Mall this month was used for Freedom250’s Great American State Fair, forcing Smithsonian to take the festival nationwide, partnering with more than 40 existing festivals across the country.
The juxtaposition reflects the reality confronting America250.
“Our programming hasn’t changed at all,” America250 Chair Rosie Rios told Playbook of the consequences of receiving just a quarter of the funding it expected. “The scale of our programming has changed.” Rios, who has served on the bipartisan commission through the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, said the organization has stayed faithful to the blueprint commissioners approved years before Trump returned to office.
“Our guiding principle has always been ‘no politics, just purpose,’” she said.
And much of that blueprint is still very much alive. But the biggest visual centerpiece belongs to Trump’s team.
Freedom250’s finale will be what organizers say is the largest fireworks display in American history with 850,000 firework shells.
Pyrotechnico President Rocco Vitale told Playbook his company began planning in January. The 40-minute show will stretch more than a mile across Washington, launching simultaneously from eight barges on the Potomac River, West Potomac Park and firing sites running the length of the Reflecting Pool.
More than 60 technicians have spent the past week assembling the display, using fireworks sourced from the United States, Italy, Spain and Asia. The soundtrack features patriotic crowd favorites like “Party in the U.S.A.” and “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.”
“The scale of it was such a huge thing for all of us to really wrap our heads around,” Vitale said. “Once we got our heads around it, we were like, ‘Let’s go do this.’” Read the full story
HOW POTUS FOLLOWS THE WORLD CUP: Trump has embraced the 2026 World Cup as a showcase event for the United States, despite skipping the early rounds.
Instead, he’s received regular updates from White House World Cup task force Executive Director Andrew Giuliani and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. The president is also tracking the tournament through social media, Mullin said this week, asking about games and reacting to viral moments.
“He loves that our visitors from all over the world are enjoying what the United States has to say,” Mullin told Playbook from DHS’ Special Events Coordination Center. “I think the one he comments about the most is that one that’s been all over social media, the guy taking his first bite of Texas barbecue.”
Trump’s only confirmed World Cup appearance will come in the final match at the New York-New Jersey stadium, where he’s expected to present the trophy to the winning team.One hot commodity: Trump also has 10 tickets to the final — a gift from FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Two people who visited Trump at sporting events told POLITICO’s Daniel Barnes they expect the coveted seats to go to family members and a handful of West Wing aides.
Want a ticket? You could try Giuliani, who one of the people said has been helpful — but he may steer you to FIFA.com or to White House Cabinet Affairs to adjudicate.
FLOTUS FILES: Melania Trump has taken a more proactive and tactical approach to her time as first lady during her husband’s second term — and it’s catching the attention of Republicans and Democrats alike, POLITICO’s Diana Nerozzi reports on Trump’s behind-the-scenes efforts to put her stamp on issues she really cares about.
- In a rare interview, Marc Beckman, senior exclusive adviser to the first lady, made the case that Melania’s sparing public profile was intended to up her effectiveness. Her lack of ubiquity, this theory goes, makes the spotlight brighter when she chooses to speak. She’s pursuing “Melania Trump’s playbook,” Beckman said. “She is looking to achieve more than any first lady before in history.”
EUROPE’S MAKE-UP MISSION: European conservatives are trying to salvage relationships with Trump that took a rocky turn in recent weeks, POLITICO’s Daniella Cheslow and Diana Nerozzi report. Some 20 center-right members of the EU parliament visited Washington this week for a trip planned well before the dustups, which became an opportunity to mend fences.
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Disney adults: Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) is set to headline a donor retreat at Disneyland later this month — and he’s bringing his wife and children, according to an invitation obtained by Playbook’s Irie Sentner and a person familiar with the arrangements. The “Weekend in Disneyland,” hosted by Rep. Lou Correa (D-Calif.), will be held at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel from July 31 through Aug. 2. See the invitation
Gallego’s appearance comes amid a DOJ investigation into his use of campaign funds following a POLITICO report that the Arizona senator used donor dollars to take his family on several trips, including to Disney resorts. Asked to confirm if Gallego’s wife and children would attend — and, if so, how they would pay — a Gallego spokesperson referred Playbook to a similar Disney World trip for Republicans planned for September. “Senator Gallego is doing the same,” the spokesperson said.
Joining Gallego at Correa’s event: Reps. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Laura Friedman (D-Calif.), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.), Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) and Norma Torres (D-Calif.), according to the invitation. A spokesperson for Ruiz, Roy Behr, called the trip “a routine family-friendly event in support of Rep. Correa’s campaign,” which Behr said would pay for Ruiz’s room “as is customary for a guest.” He added: “Rep. Ruiz is bringing his wife and young children, who are staying in the same room as him at no additional expense.”
Grijalva “is paying for her travel out of her personal funds and her husband and three kids are joining her for a family vacation,” said her comms director, Nate Sigal, who added, “No campaign funds will be used.” An aide for Neguse could not confirm whether he would attend the getaway, but told Playbook travel expenses for any family wouldn’t be paid by his campaign. A representative for Castro told Playbook he’s not attending and didn’t explain why he’s listed on the invitation. Spokespeople for the other lawmakers didn’t respond to requests for comment.
LISTEN TO THIS: Dasha sat down with documentary filmmaker and historian Ken Burns for this week’s episode of “The Conversation” to discuss what lawmakers misunderstand about the founding of our nation, whether the American experiment can survive and if Trump’s efforts to physically cement his legacy have any historical precedent.
- “The need for a monument to yourself before you’ve done anything is an insecurity,” he told Dasha. “And the historical antecedents are all with dictators and emperors and things like that who build monuments to themselves because they see themselves as the state. You know, Louis XIV famously said, ‘L’état, c’est moi’ — ‘The state is me.’ … That’s not the democratic ideal.” Listen and subscribe on Apple or Spotify
1. FED UP: The Supreme Court’s Lisa Cook ruling wasn’t the end of the saga. Bloomberg’s Saleha Mohsin and Joshua Green scooped that senior administration officials and outside allies are trying to figure out how to remove Cook and Jerome Powell from the Fed to install Trump picks — using the high court’s decision as a road map. They’re also eyeing the open Atlanta Fed presidency to make an impact. Trump told CNBC yesterday he’s still intent on firing Cook.
2. IMMIGRATION FILES: A federal appellate court handed a major win to ICE detainees in litigation over the administration’s mass detention policy, per POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney. In a 2-1 ruling, judges said detainees must get a bond hearing in 90 days to be given due process rights, noting the vast majority are non-criminals and longtime residents. But the administration is charging forward with expanded enforcement at workplaces, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez scooped.
3. WHAT’S IN A NAME: Dan J. Sullivan made it onto the Alaska Senate ballot, but now the U.S. Attorney’s Office and state AG are investigating whether multiple people engaged in a conspiracy to confuse voters about incumbent GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan, NBC’s Julia Ainsley and Bridget Bowman scooped.
4. ALL IN THE FAMILY: A new proposed ATF rule could make online gun purchases explode, letting dealers send guns directly to consumers without going to an in-person store. The direct shipping could also be a huge boost for GrabAGun, the “Amazon of guns” that counts Donald Trump Jr. among its board members, Reuters’ Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff reports.
5. FOR PETE’S SAKE: WSJ’s Yoko Kubota and colleagues unravel the backstory of what happened with the U.S.’ shifting approach to military cuts in Europe. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was ready to tell NATO in June that the administration was preparing even deeper cuts to its forces on the continent. But after national security adviser Marco Rubio and other top officials saw the plan, it got axed and downgraded to a force posture review.
THE WEEKEND AHEAD
SUNDAY SO FAR …
FOX “Fox News Sunday”: Speaker Mike Johnson … Maryland Gov. Wes Moore … Butch Wilmore … Victor Davis Hanson. Panel: Mark Bednar, Stef Kight, Leslie Marshall and Karl Rove.
CNN “State of the Union”: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro … Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. Panel: Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), Xochitl Hinojosa, Shermichael Singleton and Jamal Simmons.
MS NOW “PoliticsNation”: Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) … Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar … Colorado AG Phil Weiser … Mandela Barnes … Kelley Robinson.
CBS “Face the Nation”: NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman … Debra Houry … Charlie Baker … Reps. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) and Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.).
NBC “Meet the Press,” with an America 250 special edition: Ken Burns … Doris Kearns Goodwin … Lonnie Bunch.
PBS “Compass Points,” with a focus on America’s foreign policy at 250: Esther Brimmer … Michael Mandelbaum … Robert Zoellick.
ABC “This Week”: Panel: Donna Brazile, Chris Christie, Maggie Haberman and Doug Heye.
DOGE TROUBLES — Former DOGE official Jeremy Lewin is staying at the State Department after he was expected to transition Monday to the National Security Council as deputy assistant to the president. Conservative activist Laura Loomer launched a public campaign questioning his loyalty over his past work for liberal constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe and comments celebrating Joe Biden’s 2020 victory over Trump.
Deputy National Security Adviser Mike Needham called Lewin “a tremendous fighter for the President’s agenda” who worked to transform foreign aid into a system advancing “America First objectives.” VP JD Vance’s chief of staff, Jacob Reses, called him “an invaluable asset to the Trump Administration in the fight against the deep state.”
A senior administration official last night added that Lewin frustrated OMB leadership over U.N. funding decisions, waivers related to pro-life and anti-DEI policies, and a dispute surrounding nearly $20 billion in USAID closeout costs. “Not true,” said Eric Ueland, OMB’s deputy director for management who’s also leading USAID’s shuttering. “Jeremy is a critical part of closing out USAID and we have worked closely together.”
UP IN SMOKE — Trump’s Independence Day fireworks could set a Guinness world record and spike pollution in D.C., POLITICO’s Alex Guillén and colleagues report. Airborne soot and heavy metals will likely leap, though the dirty air will dissipate quickly. … Sold-out tickets to watch from the Kennedy Center roof terrace went for up to $25,000 for 36 guests.
HEALTH UPDATE — Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is still hospitalized after two and a half weeks, his office said yesterday. He “continues to improve,” the statement reported, but they haven’t specified what’s wrong. More from POLITICO’s Aaron Pellish
PIRRO JUMPS IN THE POOL — Former Olympian David Hearn was indicted on a felony destruction of property charge at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, per POLITICO’s Gregory Svirnovskiy. Federal prosecutors allege he ripped up sealant from the bottom; he claims he merely touched the water.
FORE! — The Trump administration’s effort to redevelop the East Potomac Golf Course collided with a skeptical federal judge, who pressed the government for details, NYT’s Zach Montague reports. Ana Reyes said the administration’s court claims seemed to contradict reality, and she’s “not sure that the presumption of regularity” — assuming the government tells the truth — “applies anymore.” Reyes also sounded uncertain about whether the plans could be stopped.
HISTORY LESSON — A federal appeals court blocked a judge’s order to force the Trump administration to replace national park exhibits on sensitive historical subjects like slavery, per Reuters.
OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at a birthday and retirement party for Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), hosted by S-3 Group: Speaker Mike Johnson, Reps. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), Celeste Maloy (R-Utah), Mike Turner (R-Ohio), Glenn “G.T.” Thompson (R-Pa.), Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), David Rouzer (R-N.C.) and Kim Schrier (D-Wash.), Andrew Wheeler, Jessica Carter, Todd Willens, John Scofield, Martin Delgado, Dennis Nalls, Jim Richards, Joan Galvin, Tom Albert, R.J. Layher, Brian Rell, Mike Riith, Shana Chandler, Sally McAllister, Phil Hardy, Matt Gall and Carrie Meadows.
— Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi hosted an America 250 celebration featuring a concert by Keith Urban at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Kogod Courtyard last night. SPOTTED: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, VA Secretary Doug Collins, CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz and Seval Oz, Chris Klomp, Jill Hazelbaker Franks, Reps. Jason Smith (R-Mo.), Kevin Kiley (I-Calif.) and Bob Onder (R-Mo.), Rachel Holt, Alex Flemister, Jimmy Sapp, Javier Correoso, Spencer Silverman, Kristin Sharp, Julie and Chad Sweet, Rene Haas, Alberto Martinez, Matt Gorman, Katelyn Bledsoe, Arun Gupta, Brittany Punaro, Josh Dawsey, Marisa Schultz, Ted Johnson, Dan Meyers, James Van Den Berg, Kaily Grabemann, Sumi Somaskanda, Aaron Lukas, Liz Claman, Rick Klein, Christine Brennan, Colin Moneymaker and Steve Clemons.
MEDIA MOVE — Isabelle Kravis is now a newsletter editor at POLITICO. She previously worked at Bloomberg Industry Group.
TRANSITION — Kailyn Ward is now principal deputy assistant secretary for comms at the Education Department. She previously worked at Forbes Tate Partners.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) … Julian Assange … Kristen Morgante of Purple Strategies … Andrew Peek … Peter Sherman of DDC Public Affairs … Nick Baldick of Hilltop Public Solutions … AFP’s Shaun Tandon … POLITICO’s Heidi Vogt and Will McCarthy … Rina Shah … Washington Examiner’s Naomi Lim … former Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) … Adam Goldberg … Giffords’ Mary Yatrousis … Gloria Allred … Elise Joshi … Barbara Lee … Don “Stew” Stewart … Lindy Royce-Bartlett … Julia Griffin … Rick Powell … Meta’s Brad Weltman … Greater Washington Partnership’s Tom Shaw
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