Trump's Good Idea
Sometimes the blind squirrel finds a nut:
Donald Trump’s latest idea to enshrine American greatness is to throw the country “the most spectacular” birthday bash — one that will last all year.
In 2026, the U.S. will celebrate the semiquincentennial: the quarter millennial since its declaration of independence. To commemorate the anniversary, Trump is proposing a blowout, 12-month-long “Salute to America 250” celebration. In a new policy video, Trump calls for a “Great American State Fair,” featuring pavilions from all 50 states, nationwide high school sporting contests, and the building of Trump’s “National Garden of American Heroes” with statues of important figures in American history like Frederick Douglass and Amelia Earhart.
“As a nation, we should be preparing for the most spectacular birthday party. We want to make it the best of all time,” Trump said in the new policy video previewed by POLITICO.
Planning has been taking place for nearly six years already. The United States Semiquincentennial Commission was created back in 2016 and has been meeting and planning ever since. That Commission, however, doesn’t seem to have achieved much and has been mired in controversies.
Trump’s vision has some quirky ideas, including the “Patriot Games” for high school athletes and the resurrection of his idea for a sculpture garden of “heroes”.
But Trump has a good point with his idea for “The Great American State Fair”.
National exhibitions celebrating America’s birthday have happened twice before, both held in Philadelphia. The 1876 Centennial International Exposition was credited as America’s first World’s Fair1. Though not a financial success, it did show American industrial innovation. The 1926 Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition was a similar expo, but it was also called “America’s Greatest Flop” for going hopelessly into debt and, eventually, bankruptcy.
In 1976, there was no centralized exposition but there were events across the country. The Bicentennial received a great deal of publicity and national recognition.
In that regard, Trump’s idea of a “State Fair” sounds very similar to the previous Philadelphia exposition ideas. It is, of course, very Trump: “A birthday celebration for the nation is the type of event that can be described as quintessentially Trump: heavy on patriotic themes and state planning.” We all know Trump loves himself big celebrations and a bloated government.
The idea could use some tweaking. Maybe Iowa2 is not the place for this event. It needs to be done with as little public funding as possible. And the timeline for doing it would be compressed if it takes until Trump’s theoretical re-election for the idea to happen (there would be about four months from that date until Trump’s proposed opening dates).
But with all that being said, it is a decent idea that deserves attention and analysis from serious people. Of all the wacky ideas Trump has had over the years, the idea of a big semiquincentennial blowout is among his better ones.
If there is anything the last twenty years have shown us is that so many people, particularly Americans, take America for granted. Too few Americans realize the exceptional nature of this country and the freedom and liberty it has to offer. Nowhere has the opportunities that this country has. And an exposition highlighting all of the great things that America has to offer will hopefully grow a greater appreciation for this country, its history, and its exceptional nature among those
America’s 250th is a big deal. We should treat it like one.
American World’s Fairs or Expositions: Philadelphia 1876, Chicago 1893, St. Louis 1904, San Francisco 1915, Chicago 1933, New York 1939-1940, Seattle 1962, New York 1964, San Antonio 1968, Spokane 1974, Knoxville 1982, New Orleans 1984
We all know this is Trump engaging in everybody’s favorite sport: pandering to Iowa Caucus voters.