At least seven have declined to participate, the latest sign that the national 250th birthday celebration has become a fragmented and partisan affair as the president seeks his imprint.
At least seven states have declined to take part in the Great American State Fair, one of President Trump’s marquee events scheduled to begin this month to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday.
The withdrawals add to the growing signs that a summer of national celebration has become an increasingly fragmented and partisan affair as Mr. Trump has sought to stamp his imprint on the events.
The states known to have withdrawn are Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. All of them are led by Democratic governors except Vermont, whose Republican governor, Phil Scott, has long been a critic of Mr. Trump.
Some, like Massachusetts and North Carolina, said they declined to participate in the fair, set to begin June 25 on the National Mall, because of budget constraints. And states are holding their own celebrations for the occasion, many of which have been years in the making.
“Our limited resources are focused on America 250 events across North Carolina, including one at the State Capitol in Raleigh on July 4,” said Michele Walker, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Oregon, too, said the cost of participating was too high. But a spokesman for the state, Luke Harkins, said there were also “growing concerns that the event in Washington, D.C., is shaping up to be a more partisan affair than originally presented.”