Philadelphia's Independence Hall, where 56 delegates signed the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago, should be a symbol of unity.
Instead, the semiquincentennial has become another source of division.
Park ranger Maggie Burkett called the signers "brave" and "heroes" for risking their lives. Yet the anniversary has been co-opted by President Donald Trump's partisan pageantry.
A Joyless Celebration
Trump's Freedom 250 initiative has sidelined the official bipartisan America250 commission.
Events include a 16-day Great American State Fair on the National Mall, described by the Washingtonian as "sparsely attended and shockingly boring."
A $14.7 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool turned green with algae days after completion.
Trump blamed vandals and threatened jail time.
In June, Trump hosted Ultimate Fighting Championship matches at the White House.
Last week, a kickoff event for the state fair featured military jets and a rally atmosphere, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attacking "libtards."
No Democrats participated. The event ended with Trump's "Make America great again" chant and a Marine Band performance of YMCA.
Meanwhile, America250's modest plans include a time capsule, an essay contest, and a July 4 concert with Queen Latifah and Chris Stapleton.
Historical Echoes and Concerns
Historians draw contrasts with the 1976 bicentennial, which featured a multinational tall ship parade and the opening of the National Air and Space Museum.
President Gerald Ford did not make it about himself.
Yale historian David Blight said Trump's vanity projects are "theatre of the absurd," comparing him to Mussolini.
Harvard's Jill Lepore noted that participating in celebrations can seem like endorsing Trump.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found 38% of Americans doubt the US will exist as a single country in 250 years.
Nearly two-thirds say democracy is in danger.
Bill Whalen of the Hoover Institution lamented that the anniversary could have been a "Christmas truce."
Instead, voters unknowingly chose between a reflective, shame-filled commemoration under Kamala Harris or a narcissistic one under Trump.
The Declaration's preamble speaks of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," but its author Thomas Jefferson enslaved over 610 people.
The nation has wrestled with this contradiction for 250 years.
Princeton's Eddie Glaude said Trumpism is not an aberration but an expression of a durable strain in American politics.
He compared the current moment to 1926, when the Ku Klux Klan marched on Washington.
Freedom 250's "Freedom Trucks" tell a relentlessly positive story that downplays slavery and culminates with a video of Trump.
Last year, an executive order directed the removal of "divisive" ideology from the Smithsonian.
Lonnie Bunch, the Smithsonian's first Black secretary, called this the most challenging period since the Civil War.
A court filing alleges Trump ordered removal of exhibits from at least 37 museums.
As July 4 approaches, the nation's birthday feels less like a celebration and more like a case study in division and leader narcissism.
