Former Republican insider Reed Galen watched the GOP dismiss its voters until Donald Trump remade the party. He says Democratic leaders are making the same mistake.
The sky is actually falling at the Great American State Fair.The stage for Freedom 250’s July Fourth celebration fell apart during rehearsals Thursday, with a large component of the structure’s ceiling falling roughly two stories down and landing behind a group of dancers and musicians. Miraculously, no one appeared injured.The stage is falling apart at the rehearsal for Freedom 250's July 4th celebration. pic.twitter.com/bPbg94hp6X— Aaron Parnas (@AaronParnas) July 2, 2026Online commenters were quick to flame the stage’s apparently dangerous construction. “That’s what happens when you don’t consider merit in hiring,” wrote one X user. “This is why you never let Trump select the subcontractor based on percentage of kickback,” commented another.Even a lawmaker joined in on the roast.“Feeling more and more like the Hunger Games,” wrote Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie.Practically every component of Trump’s wildly expensive plan to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary has turned out to be a dud. The $15 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool failed to rid the iconic monument of algae; a multi-week lineup of music acts had to be cancelled after practically every artist pulled themselves from the program; and a fleet of buses carrying a contemporary retelling of American history have failed to make a splash in their journey across the country.The Great American State Fair was supposed to be the centerpiece of the celebration, yet even it is more of a potemkin village than a sincere homage. The booths, which offer space for each state to represent its heritage and culture (pet a replica of a bison at the North Dakota pavilion, or walk away with a bag of chips from Maine), are ideologically pitted against the seismic presence of the federal government and Trump’s authoritarian expansion (banners featuring Trump’s grim face flank the event, while a small-scale replica of his proposed “Triumphal Arc” sits center stage). As The Atlantic’s Kelsey Ables put it, “the president is bringing down the mood.”
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ political arm is taking a victory lap after its preferred candidate, progressive Manny Rutinel, won a competitive Colorado primary this week.