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Documents show states blindsided by costs of Trump's Great American State Fair

cultureJul 6, 202621637

Emails obtained by NOTUS show state organizers were blindsided by last-minute planning, opaque costs and insurance demands for President Trump’s Great American State Fair on the National Mall. Planning began in February and only 40 of the 50 states ultimately signed up while booths that did appear, including Montana’s dinosaur rib cage and Iowa’s butter cow, reported surprise charges for shipping, furnishings and vendor-mandated services. States told Freedom 250 they had little time and limited budgets; a New Hampshire official emailed on May 19 that it was unclear whether there would be costs beyond staffing their pavilion. Documents identify Freeman as the designated provider for material handling, labor and furnishings, and note Joe Popolo, a former Freeman CEO and Trump donor, served on the company’s board. The festival has also faced operational troubles on the Mall, including a heat-related shutdown over the weekend that left 11 people hospitalized, and several states declined to send delegations because of the confusion and expense.

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