'No singers, no money': Trump's 250th anniversary celebration taps national park fees

$90 million in national park entrance fees diverted to Washington, D.C.

Funds earmarked for fireworks, fountain restorations and a new helipad

National parks face $24 billion maintenance backlog

Critics say capital beautification comes at parks' expense

Construction workers block off a section of the National Mall as preparations get underway for the U.S. 250th anniversary celebration. [Reuters]

By Seo Ji-yeon, The Herald Business

Donald Trump's celebration of America's 250th anniversary is becoming yet another political flashpoint. After a string of performers pulled out of the planned festivities — prompting Trump to volunteer to take the stage himself — it has now emerged that tens of millions of dollars in national park entrance fees are being funneled into the event's budget.

According to internal National Park Service documents obtained by The Washington Post, the Trump administration has allocated at least $90 million in national park entrance fee revenue to projects in Washington, D.C., tied to the 250th anniversary celebration.

The funding controversy is compounding a backlash that had already been building in the entertainment world.

According to The New York Times, the "Great American State Fair" had been scheduled to take place on the National Mall next month to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence. But performers began dropping out after it emerged that the organizing body, "Freedom 250," was established by White House executive order and carries a distinctly pro-Trump character.

Bret Michaels, lead singer of the rock band Poison, announced he would not participate, saying he had originally been told the event was a celebration of America but that it had since "turned into something much more divisive." Country singer Martina McBride, hip-hop artist Young MC and funk group the Commodores also withdrew.

Trump responded on Truth Social, writing that "third-rate entertainers" had "gotten cold feet" before their performances and suggesting that "maybe we should bring in Donald Trump, the greatest president in history, to replace them." Freedom 250 subsequently announced that Trump would personally take the stage at the opening ceremony.

The controversy has now spread from the cultural sphere to questions of public finance.

According to the internal documents obtained by The Washington Post, the administration plans to spend roughly $1.6 million on the July 4 Independence Day celebration — more than five times the typical budget for the holiday fireworks display.

More than $76 million has been set aside for the restoration of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and various fountains across the capital.

The breakdown includes $13 million for the Lafayette Square fountain in front of the White House, $5.7 million for the Simón Bolívar memorial fountain and $47 million for fountain restorations on the National Mall.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool — whose restoration Trump personally announced as complete — is among the centerpiece projects.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. The Trump administration has committed major funding to the pool's restoration ahead of the U.S. 250th anniversary. [AFP]

A central concern is that much of this money comes from entrance fees collected at national parks across the country.

National park entrance fees are ordinarily used to maintain the parks where they are collected. While some funds can flow into a shared pool for the broader park system, the documents show that roughly $105 million of this year's approved budget has been concentrated on Washington, D.C.-area projects, while parks elsewhere received only about $27 million combined.

The national park system currently faces a maintenance backlog estimated at roughly $24 billion.

Roads, bridges, water and sewage infrastructure, and visitor centers have deteriorated across the country, with many repair projects delayed for years due to insufficient funding.

Against that backdrop, the internal documents also reveal plans for a new White House helipad and a modernization of the East Wing.

About $5 million in donations is earmarked for the helipad, which would be managed by the White House Military Office. Trump has said he wants to install a helipad on the South Lawn to prevent Marine One from damaging the grass during landings and takeoffs.

President Donald Trump explains plans for a new White House ballroom. [AP]

The East Wing expansion carries a projected cost of $300 million in donations and is reported to include Trump's proposed grand ballroom.

Ed Stierli of the National Parks Conservation Association criticized the funding distribution, saying it is wrong to concentrate resources in one area "at the expense of the entire national park system."

The White House has pushed back, arguing that Washington, D.C., has been neglected for decades.

White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said that thanks to Trump, "more than 20 fountains and nearly 30 statues have been restored," adding that "many projects are set to be completed before the 250th anniversary celebration."

The Interior Department also said the administration is "making Washington, D.C., safe and beautiful again after previous administrations let it fall into disrepair."

Critics, however, contend that the 250th anniversary celebration has drifted from a national commemoration into a vehicle for building Trump's personal political legacy.

The White House is simultaneously pursuing a UFC event, a military parade, the new ballroom and the relocation of various monuments. With performers continuing to withdraw and the diversion of national park funds drawing scrutiny, observers say the anniversary celebration is shaping up less as a national festival than as a political battleground.

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sjy@heraldcorp.com