Trump’s Great American State Fair: What Michael Koziol discovered

Washington: In case you hadn’t heard, America is having a birthday. A big one. And President Donald Trump has a hand in most of the celebrations.

One of his signature creations for the country’s 250th anniversary is the Great American State Fair, taking place on Washington’s National Mall.

Like anything Trump does, the event has become a magnet for criticism – the kind he would deride as “Trump derangement syndrome”. In this case, the fair is being ridiculed for poor attendance, with photos and videos of empty fields going viral on social media.

We know how much Trump obsesses about crowd sizes. But are the critics right? I wanted to see for myself.

I visited the fair on a hot and sunny Tuesday afternoon. The first thing that struck me: no queue for entry. That is something of a minor miracle in the US, where long security lines are part of life. But on this occasion, I just walked straight in.

The state fair is a celebration of all things American, from the history of its independence from Britain to its unrivalled achievements in science, technology, space exploration and more. It is an unapologetic temple to American greatness and “freedom”.

It is also, in large part, advertising. Much of the fairground is taken up by exhibits from US states showcasing their major industries, local produce and tourist attractions.

The stalls are invariably staffed by enthusiastic representatives from their state tourism offices or other government departments, who are only too happy to spread the good word about skiing in Colorado or bourbon tasting in Kentucky.

Nick Harrington, a super-smiley South Dakotan, gives me the big sell on his state: the famous Black Hills and Mount Rushmore, but also the Missouri River, the glacial lakes and tall grass prairies. “There’s something for everybody,” he beams.

There’s also a row of stalls dedicated to government departments: the Department of War (nee Defence), the Justice Department and even the US Treasury, whose stall is largely dedicated to marketing “Trump Accounts” to parents and prospective parents.

Trump’s presence is not overwhelming, but over time, it makes itself known. Inside the “Freedom Truck”, while his face doesn’t feature on the wall of American heroes, a quote from him takes pride of place. There’s a whole separate exhibit shilling Trump Accounts, and later I see a man walking around in a Trump Accounts apron.

The programming is also heavy on Trump administration officials and MAGA allies. The day I visit, the Freedom Stage features a panel with Homeland Security undersecretary Pedro Allende – a Trump appointee – and a fireside chat with acting Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling and celebrity plumber Roger Wakefield.

Meanwhile, another stage features a “special gathering” with Lee Zeldin, the Trump-appointed head of the Environmental Protection Agency, who was set to talk about the president’s revitalisation of Washington.

A hubbub drew me towards the Department of Energy’s stall; it turned out the crowd was there for a visit by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, whose attention I briefly caught.

“Hello to all my great friends in Australia,” he told me and my video camera. “You’re a big energy nation, big minerals nation, great ally of the United States, and we played a great football game together in FIFA as well.”

The fair is being run under the auspices of Freedom250, a Trump administration initiative to organise patriotic events for the country’s 250th birthday. Trump was not satisfied with the events planned by America250 – a bipartisan, congressionally mandated organisation tasked with steering the festivities.

As such, the event has taken on a partisan vibe – much like the kick-off celebration last week, which turned into a Trump rally after planned musical guests bailed en masse.

All told, it’s a pretty lame affair. There can’t be too many Americans gagging to hear more from Trump administration officials – given they basically never stop talking or posting – and there’s not much fun in collecting brochures about Idaho or Alaska.

There are one or two classic cars to look at. You can ride the Ferris wheel and grab a beer at the Budweiser bar. An underwhelming pretzel will set you back $US10 ($14.45). I didn’t dare try the orange chicken.

Americans have a preternatural affection for this kind of stuff – a garish, in-your-face patriotism that would not quite fly in Australia. I suppose you only turn 250 once; ’tis the season. But the Great American State Fair’s main crime is that it’s just a bit dull.

As for the crowds, they weren’t quite as dire as some of the imagery might portray. There was a steady flow of people coming in and out of many state stalls; at times, there was even a line to get into the Florida exhibit.

But nobody wants to hang out in the middle of the National Mall when it’s 32 degrees. It was even hotter under the sun in the mall; my phone stopped working twice due to the heat.

One had to feel sorry for the musical acts. At one point, I witnessed a band from Mississippi playing to a crowd of two people. Later, a juggler increased the audience to a healthy dozen.

And Trump’s fair is about to hit another snag: a dangerous, record-breaking heatwave is headed for Washington, with the mercury expected to eclipse 37 degrees for the next five days and reach tops of 39. People, especially the elderly, are being advised to limit their time outdoors.

Still, those who braved the conditions on Tuesday appeared happy with what they found. “It’s very family-friendly,” said Sheila Kay, 65, from Maryland. “The media here, they put a negative slant on everything.”

On the fair’s first day, a power outage in the food hall caused the ice cream to melt – a story that was covered with great fanfare by some media outlets.

“They shipped more ice cream in and got the electricity repaired,” says Sheila. “Trump’s a builder; he knows how to repair things. What [the media] will do is dote on the negative, and there’s so much positive down here.”

Her husband, John, concurred. His highlight was the Louisiana stall, which featured an exhibit about his favourite senator, Republican John Kennedy. “He is so funny, and so honest.”

As for the fair, John says: “Sure, there’s some haters. There always will be. But that’s OK, that’s part of who we are, too. Hopefully, we can get back to talking about our differences instead of just screaming at each other.”

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