{"id":395,"date":"2026-07-05T20:39:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T15:39:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=395"},"modified":"2026-07-05T20:39:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T15:39:10","slug":"the-great-american-state-fairs-main-exhibit-is-trump-corruption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=395","title":{"rendered":"The Great American State Fair\u2019s Main Exhibit Is Trump Corruption"},"content":{"rendered":"<script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n\r\n<br><div id=\"article-content\">\n            \n\n\n\n\n<p>WASHINGTON, DC \u2013\u00a0I visited the Great American State Fair on several days over the past week. <a href=\"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/gallery\/photos-behold-the-assorted-weirdness-and-sparse-crowds-at-trumps-great-american-state-fair\" target=\"_blank\">Yes, it\u2019s empty<\/a>. Security is extremely tight, with no clear reason as to why. Federal marshals, Oklahoma state troopers, and others roam the area, providing a mini-museum of cops. The mini-arch is as half-assed as everyone says it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But President Trump\u2019s Freedom250 project and the Great American State Fair is really a corruption story. And, in true MAGA fashion, there\u2019s no real effort to hide the graft here: it\u2019s all playing out in front of you. The fair itself showcases different forms of the rampant conflicts of interest and grifting that is coming to define the second Trump administration. On MAHA Monday, I stopped by the \u201cFreedom stage\u201d and listened as a doctor who runs a network of clinics pitched a top administration official on having Medicare and Medicaid cover a controversial scan that his business offers. It was hot, so I went inside an air-conditioned tent; firms funded by Don Jr. had booths on display. Government contractors like Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, and others had exhibits in the tents and around the area. A Truth Social representative tried to sell me on creating an account with a video service that the president\u2019s company is launching.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People have compared the fair to a Potemkin Village. But my experience was more akin to stumbling upon a scam, more like Fyre Festival combined with a turbocharged form of D.C. pay-to-play. It\u2019s eerie: the fair is mostly empty. The parts that are supposed to be for visitors are either falling apart or dramatically fail to deliver. The only real activity appears to come from large businesses using the fair as a vehicle to gain favor with the president.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<!-- \/wp:post-content -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":1551175,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<div class=\"GalleryImageWrapper\"><h2 class=\"GalleryImageWrapper__Title\"\/><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"5712\" height=\"4284\" src=\"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8428.jpg?w=804\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1551175\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8428.jpg 5712w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8428.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8428.jpg?resize=804,603 804w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8428.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8428.jpg?resize=2048,1536 2048w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8428.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8428.jpg?resize=1000,750 1000w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8428.jpg?resize=1200,900 1200w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8428.jpg?resize=400,300 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5712px) 100vw, 5712px\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h2-391b78e1-4f11-445f-9cc4-369ba4bee7c9\">Tens of millions of dollars in public money<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Congress originally created a bipartisan America250 commission in 2016. Planning started under the first Trump administration, and continued through the Biden years. In 2024, former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush agreed to serve as the Commission\u2019s national co-chairs.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When Trump took office a second time, he first installed a 25-year-old former Fox News producer, Ariel Abergel, and Trump campaign officials to direct it. The commission <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/administration\/5517326-white-house-ariel-abergel-suspension-america-250\/\" target=\"_blank\">fired<\/a> Abergel in September, in part over his efforts to make the celebration about Trump rather than the country\u2019s 250th birthday. In December, Trump dispensed with the bipartisan commission entirely: he <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/WhiteHouse\/status\/2001635004074373225?s=20\" target=\"_blank\">announced<\/a> Freedom 250. It\u2019s a limited liability company that exists within a congressionally chartered nonprofit, the National Park Foundation. It\u2019s the official fundraiser for the National Parks Service.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In November, Trump added his campaign co-manager, Chris LaCivita, to the nonprofit\u2019s board. At one point, he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/politics\/2026\/06\/trump-250-great-american-state-fair\/687456\/\" target=\"_blank\">reportedly<\/a> asked Congress to give America250 $150 million instead of $100 million; the extra $50 million was to go to the White House. Per a <a href=\"https:\/\/democrats-naturalresources.house.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/freedom250_oversight_report2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">report<\/a> from House Democrats, Freedom250 ended up capturing the majority of the funding.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The main contractor for the Great American State Fair is a firm called Event Strategies, Inc., which staged the event on the ellipse before the January 6 Capitol attack. In 2024, Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/113749308823843468\" target=\"_blank\">named<\/a> one of its partners, Justin Caporale, as \u201cExecutive Producer for Major Events and Public Appearances\u201d at his \u201cexternal operation.\u201d Caporale remains as a partner at Event Strategies; the White House and Event Strategies didn\u2019t return TPM\u2019s requests for comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Since then, Event Strategies has raked in federal contracts, receiving $38.6 million since the start of 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usaspending.gov\/recipient\/27980013-957a-fdd9-d0c8-ba76df24ec44-C\/latest\" target=\"_blank\">per federal procurement records<\/a>. Wired first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/they-helped-plan-the-january-6-rally-now-their-events-company-is-raking-in-millions-in-government-contracts\/\" target=\"_blank\">reported<\/a> that the contracts were mainly for the 250th, and the New York Times <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/18\/us\/politics\/jan-6-contracts.html\" target=\"_blank\">reported<\/a> that they were granted as no-bid contracts. The company later <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsaelibrary.gsa.gov\/ElibMain\/home.do\/pdf\/contractorInfo.do?contractNumber=47QRAA25D00D5&amp;contractorName=EVENT+STRATEGIES+INC&amp;executeQuery=YES\" target=\"_blank\">received<\/a> an indefinite contract for up to $100 million until 2030 for the stated purpose of \u201cconference, meeting, event, and trade show planning services.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Trump officials redirected other public funds from America250 to Freedom 250. In December, $10 million went from America250 instead to Freedom 250 for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usaspending.gov\/award\/ASST_NON_LG-259279-OLS-25A_474\" target=\"_blank\">fleet<\/a> of six mobile exhibits that tell the story of the nation\u2019s founding. I visited one at the Great American State Fair: it was run by PragerU, and featured a giant AI version of George Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":1551172,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<div class=\"GalleryImageWrapper\"><h2 class=\"GalleryImageWrapper__Title\"\/><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"5712\" height=\"4284\" src=\"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8427.jpg?w=804\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1551172\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8427.jpg 5712w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8427.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8427.jpg?resize=804,603 804w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8427.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8427.jpg?resize=2048,1536 2048w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8427.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8427.jpg?resize=1000,750 1000w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8427.jpg?resize=1200,900 1200w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8427.jpg?resize=400,300 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5712px) 100vw, 5712px\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h2-e6cb172e-47f7-4fa7-adea-79d6d4a491e9\">Real-life access selling<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Freedom 250 reportedly offers personal access to the president for those who contribute $1 million or more; $500,000 gets you \u201cV.I.P. access.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>With any access buying, the direction of travel is often unclear from the outside. Is a firm or person purchasing a way in? Is the company there in order to maintain access? Or, in this case, are they only present in response to an existing tie to the Trump administration.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Take Axiom Space. It\u2019s a human spaceflight company that first sent commercial astronauts to the International Space Station on a SpaceX in 2022. It plans to build a commercial space station. In February, it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2026\/02\/12\/space-axiom-donald-trump-jr-qatar.html\" target=\"_blank\">raised<\/a> $350 million from 1789 Capital, where Don Jr. is a partner, and from Qatar\u2019s sovereign wealth fund.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Axiom had a booth across from SpaceX in one tent (Elon Musk needs no explanation here). On the other side was a display for TikTok, which recently dodged a national ban by selling its U.S. operations to a joint venture <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2025\/12\/21\/nx-s1-5649856\/the-ellisons-add-tiktoks-u-s-business-to-their-entertainment-empire\" target=\"_blank\">led<\/a> by Larry Ellison. The Ellison family, which also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/politics\/policy\/how-a-45-million-donation-brought-larry-ellison-deeper-into-trumps-circle-b3e26c03\" target=\"_blank\">controls<\/a> CBS, is currently in the process of acquiring the parent company of CNN.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Next to all of this was a booth for Truth Social, the social media firm where the president is majority shareholder. It had four TV screens; one showing content from the company\u2019s video streaming platform. Another showed Trump 2016 campaign chairman Steve Bannon on Real America\u2019s Voice; another showed NewsMax; and the fourth showed conservative weather station WeatherNation TV.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>There was no booth for Ultimate Fighting Championship, though it was listed as a sponsor. Financial disclosures show that Trump personally bought between $15,000 and $50,000 in stock in UFC\u2019s parent company, TKO, in March, while promoting a separate UFC Freedom 250 event. A Trump family business partnered with UFC to <a href=\"https:\/\/realtrumpcoins.com\/collections\/ufc-freedom-250?srsltid=AfmBOoqdWNXQTY2gllkKLAlF5Z8E6Rvd3kTgGDN2QNCb0HMUzCKihgAi\" target=\"_blank\">sell<\/a> commemorative coins marking the anniversary; the most <a href=\"https:\/\/realtrumpcoins.com\/collections\/ufc-freedom-250\/products\/1-oz-pf70-trump-coins-x-ufc-gold-medallion\" target=\"_blank\">expensive<\/a> one goes for $11,999. UFC President Dana White is a Trump ally who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/releases\/office-of-the-spokesperson\/2026\/06\/department-of-state-announces-sports-diplomacy-partnership-with-ufc\" target=\"_blank\">entered<\/a> into a \u201cSports Diplomacy\u201d public-private partnership with the State Department this month. His energy drink firm Phorm Energy also sponsored the event.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Nearly all of these firms have business before the government.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>There was another, uniquely Trumpian, example of this kind of messiness. On MAHA Monday, I went to the \u201cFreedom Stage,\u201d where Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Director Dr. Mehmet Oz was interviewing a psychiatrist named Dr. Daniel Amen.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It was over 90 degrees and sunny outside during this interview, in which Amen showed a slideshow to a small crowd of people that featured the brain scans of people suffering from various forms of mental illness. The pitch, Amen said, was that these scans could diagnose psychiatric disorders. At the end of the presentation, he and Oz produced a blender and made \u201cbrain healthy hot chocolate\u201d in the sweltering heat.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":1551171,\"width\":\"737px\",\"height\":\"auto\",\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<div class=\"GalleryImageWrapper\"><h2 class=\"GalleryImageWrapper__Title\"\/><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" src=\"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8411.jpg?w=804\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1551171\" style=\"width:737px;height:auto\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8411.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8411.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8411.jpg?resize=804,603 804w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8411.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8411.jpg?resize=2048,1536 2048w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8411.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8411.jpg?resize=1000,750 1000w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8411.jpg?resize=1200,900 1200w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8411.jpg?resize=400,300 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Daniel Amen (L) making hot chocolate with Dr. Mehmet Oz (R)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Around halfway through, Amen mentioned to Oz that \u201cCMS should start covering scans,\u201d telling him, \u201cI bet I could save you billions of dollars. This is the MAHA moment.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>All this prompted me to try to better understand what was going on here. Amen, like Oz, is a celebrity doctor. He offers counseling on ways people can overcome common psychological problems like anxiety, depression, and more, and sometimes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/video\/6399014160112\" target=\"_blank\">does so on Fox News<\/a>. Amen also runs a network of clinics that offer the scans, known by their acronym SPECT, for people experiencing a range of psychiatric and relational issues. It\u2019s controversial: the American Psychiatric Association found in 2012 that this kind of neuroimaging impacted neither diagnosis nor treatment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Getting public insurers to cover these methods would be a boon to Amen\u2019s business. He told me by email that he had previously asked CMS to cover it, and that he was \u201cworking with FDA to try to get \u00a0neuropsychiatric indications for SPECT which will increase wider adoption.\u201d When asked how he came to present at the fair, he wrote: \u201cDr Oz invited me.\u201d I asked whether he thought his appearance was an example of the kind of arrangements in which people with business before the federal government use the fair to gain access to influential officials. \u201cNo,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>CMS didn\u2019t return TPM\u2019s request for comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h2-d1a3b7a4-b363-47d9-a987-80aa7fce8e17\"><strong>Where did the money go?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It\u2019s not clear exactly how much money went from the federal government to the fair.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The National Park Foundation received a $68.3 million grant from the Department of the Interior for \u201csemiquincentennial events.\u201d Beyond that, it\u2019s not clear how much money went to the fair.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Event Strategies\u2019 $100 million contract goes until 2030, with an option to extend to 2045. Procurement records <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usaspending.gov\/award\/CONT_IDV_47QRAA25D00D5_4732\" target=\"_blank\">show<\/a> that around $20 million from the contract has been obligated. It\u2019s not clear how much of this went to the Great American State Fair; $262,246 was awarded for \u201cFreedom 250 Exterior Design.\u201d Millions more are being spent on \u201cTrump accounts,\u201d which had a prominent booth at the fair. Those are partly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/releases\/2025\/12\/landmark-dell-gift-supercharges-trump-accounts-for-americas-kids\/\" target=\"_blank\">funded<\/a> by billionaire Michael Dell of Dell Technologies.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>All of this led to an extremely underwhelming experience on the ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":1551170,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<div class=\"GalleryImageWrapper\"><h2 class=\"GalleryImageWrapper__Title\"\/><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"5712\" height=\"4284\" src=\"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8322.jpg?w=804\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1551170\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8322.jpg 5712w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8322.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8322.jpg?resize=804,603 804w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8322.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8322.jpg?resize=2048,1536 2048w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8322.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8322.jpg?resize=1000,750 1000w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8322.jpg?resize=1200,900 1200w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8322.jpg?resize=400,300 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5712px) 100vw, 5712px\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It\u2019s hard to overstate the mismatch between the tens of millions of dollars that have gone to Freedom 250 and the result on the ground (Freedom 250 is putting on other events around the country). American flags branded on a white Freedom 250 background appear to have been made out of a thick pillowcase material. The canvas that covers the tents sags; air conditioning barely works to keep the inside areas cool.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>At one point, I strayed into a concessions tent. There, I found a woman who had spent $5 on a bottle of water before staff realized that they had run out. The customer was becoming increasingly irate as the staff refused to provide a refund.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I left, and wandered around to a hard-to-find area behind the tent, away from the main festivities. I found a kind woman offering what the fair seemed to be trying to hide: a table full of free water.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->          <\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n    window.fbAsyncInit = function() {\n      FB.init({\n        appId: \"101800829865996\",\n        xfbml: true,\n        version: ' v2.6'\n      });\n      window.fbAsyncInit.__didInit = true;\n    };\n    (function(d, s, id) {\n      var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];\n      if (d.getElementById(id)) {\n        return;\n      }\n      js = d.createElement(s);\n      js.id = id;\n      js.src = \"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\";\n      fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);\n    }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));\n  <\/script>\r\n<br><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WASHINGTON, DC \u2013\u00a0I visited the Great American State Fair on several days over the past week. Yes, it\u2019s empty. Security is extremely tight, with no clear reason as to why. Federal marshals, Oklahoma state troopers, and others roam the area, providing a mini-museum of cops. The mini-arch is as half-assed as everyone says it is&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":396,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2283112593.jpg?w=804","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/395","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=395"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/395\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}