Trump Freedom 250 sponsors include federal government companies

WASHINGTON — On the National Mall this week, Freedom 250 signs guided visitors to temporary state pavilions, a Ferris wheel and mobile temporary history exhibits. Sponsor names were displayed next to programs that were affiliated with President Trump. Some states were represented by official delegations. Other businesses opted out, leaving alternative displays or stripped-down booths in their places.

As the nation prepares to celebrate its 500th anniversary, or 250th birthday, corporate money is shaping some of Washington’s most flamboyant celebrations.

A CNBC analysis found that 14 companies support both America 250, a nonprofit that supports the Congressional Quincentennial Commission, and Freedom 250, the Trump-backed public-private partnership behind some of the administration’s most visible commemorative events.

Here are companies listed online as supporting both: boeingDeloitte, Exigar, john deere, lockheed martin, Northrop Grumman, oracle, Palantirform energy, RTX SAP, scotts miracle gro,UFC, united airlines.

Of those companies, only John Deere responded to CNBC’s request for comment, but did not address specific questions about the two organizations’ sponsorships. John Deere said he was keen to honor those who helped “build, feed and sustain” the United States.

Some of these companies have significant transactions with the federal government, including defense contracts, technology contracts, regulatory interests, merger considerations, tax issues, and other policy matters shaped by the Trump administration.

CNBC found no evidence of a connection between Freedom 250 sponsorship and business dealings with the government.

But this is another example of the complex intersection between American business and politics under a president with increasingly close ties to business.

Watchdog groups and ethics experts say the structure hides much of the money from public view for companies that did business before the administration, giving them new ways to seek access to President Donald Trump.

“The concern is not that corporations are sponsoring a national celebration. The concern is that this celebration appears to provide access to the president when some corporations have business before the presidential administration,” said Bruce Freed, president and co-founder of the Center for Political Accountability, which advises corporations on political spending.

Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee released a report this week criticizing the President and Freedom 250 for misappropriating funds and misleading sponsors.

Freedom 250 fundraising materials, first reported by the New York Times, listed tiered sponsorships, with donors who gave at least $500,000 receiving VIP access, invitations and priority seating at the event, according to the New York Times. The $1 million donation came with an invitation and photo opportunity to a private “thank you” reception hosted by President Trump, and donors who gave more than $2.5 million were offered speaking roles at a July 4 event in Washington, The Times reported.

The Times reported that companies paid more than $10 million to get VIP access to all Freedom 250 events, logo rights, customized press releases, Fourth of July speaking roles, and a private reception hosted by Trump with photo opportunities.

Tiered benefits like this are common in large event sponsorships. Watchdog groups said the Freedom 250 is different because some sponsors did business before the administration, the make-up of donors is opaque and the perks are attached to an event built around President Trump.

“For $1 million you can get a meeting with the president, and what we’ve seen is that if you get in the room with Donald Trump, that tends to be very good for business,” Matt Dallek, a political historian at George Washington University, told CNBC.

Freedom 250, America 250 and the White House did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Two separate groups are planning celebrations for the big Fourth of July holiday.

The original America 250 grew out of a bipartisan commission created by Congress in 2016 to plan for the nation’s 250th anniversary. Its activities focus on citizen programs, including student contests, volunteer activities, and events around the country.

Freedom 250 came after President Trump returned to office and sought to put his own stamp on the anniversary. When President Trump announced the initiative on social media in December, he promised “the greatest birthday party you’ve ever seen.”

Freedom 250 and related events have become President Trump’s most publicized commemorative vehicle. They include the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, a model of the arch planned to overlook Washington, an IndyCar race through the nation’s capital, and a UFC match at the White House.

Congress set aside $150 million for the anniversary, but as of early June, America 250 had received only $25 million, according to a report obtained by NOTUS, a Washington, D.C.-based digital news organization. Efforts aligned with Trump received much more than that, with nearly $80 million in 250th related grants to the National Park Foundation, NOTUS first reported.

Fried and other experts said one possible explanation for why companies support both organizations is that while America 250 offered traditional patriotic branding, Freedom 250 brought sponsors closer to President Trump’s preferred version of the celebration.

“If you’re a company with federal contracts, regulatory issues or merger interests, sitting with the president is far more valuable than the sponsorship itself,” Freed told CNBC.

The UFC may be the clearest example of how Freedom 250 blurred corporate funding, Trump’s connections, and policy interests.

The company helped host the Freedom 250 mixed martial arts event at the White House over President Trump’s birthday weekend. ESPN reported that UFC president Dana White, a longtime Trump ally, also sent a letter to Trump on May 11 asking him to repeal a provision of the Big Beautiful Bill that capped gambling loss deductions at 90%. That provision is still in effect.

The UFC declined to comment on the Freedom 250 and America 250 listings on its site. CNBC found no evidence that the UFC’s corporate sponsorship influenced the government’s decision.

Corporate money has long been part of national day celebrations.

The 1976 Bicentennial celebration attracted so many corporate sponsors that critics derided it as “bicentennial.” Former President Richard Nixon was also accused of trying to push the commemoration through the executive branch during preparations for the celebration until he resigned in 1974.

One of the bicentennial projects, the high-profile American Freedom Train, was funded by five companies. pepsi colaatlantic richfield general motors, prudential Kraft Foods each contributed about $5 million in initial grants to the project, according to Ford Library records. Adjusted for inflation, it’s worth about $20 million.

But historians and watchdog groups said Freedom 250 raises another set of concerns, including its access-style sponsorship, opaque funding structure and the degree to which the anniversary has been built around Trump.

“There’s America 250 for other people, and then there’s this little shadowy organization (Freedom 250) that basically works for Trump rallies and Trump supporters,” Dallek said. This structure “doesn’t really fit the idea of ​​unity,” he added.

America250 announces dozens of sponsors. Freedom 250 calls some of its supporters “strategic partners.” And, according to Congressional Democrats, the president of the National Park Foundation told Congress that donors who request anonymity will not be disclosed.

That lack of transparency is part of its appeal, according to corporate political consultants.

“Companies are hedging,” Fried said. “They want the safe patriotic brand of America 250, but they also don’t want to miss out on the president’s favorite celebration.”

The blurred lines extend beyond corporate sponsorship.

An email sent to all NASA agencies in June encouraged employees to shop at the Freedom 250 store, according to NASA staff sources and documents reviewed by CNBC. The documents say the link resolved to the Trump campaign website.

The development of commemorative projects has also been plagued by problems on the ground.

The Great American State Fair, held on the National Mall, was touted as the centerpiece of the 16-day celebration. But at least eight states, most of them led by Democratic governors, declined to formally participate, citing exhibit costs ranging from $100,000 to $1 million and concerns about the event’s partisan tone.

The expo also faced sparse crowds, power outages, an intermittently broken Ferris wheel and a model Arc de Triomphe whose cover had begun to warp, according to media reports.

Several artists, including Martina McBride, Young MC, The Commodores, and Bret Michaels, withdrew after their participation in the Freedom 250 event was announced or associated with it. Some said they were misled about the partisan nature of the celebration.

In response, President Trump suggested in a post on Truth Social that the concert be replaced with “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY,” and he would later headline the fair’s opening.