Preparations are underway for the Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
The complexities of the American story are evident at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The gavel used by Nancy Pelosi when she became the first female speaker of the U.S. House sits next to a red "Make America Great Again" cap. A shirt emblazoned with a pink triangle and "Silence = Death" protesting the government's inaction during the AIDS crisis hangs alongside a campaign shirt for President Ronald Reagan.
According to museum director Anthea M. Hartig, the exhibit "In Pursuit of Life, Liberty and Happiness" commemorates the 250th anniversary of American independence. Artifacts range from a Revolutionary War-era gunboat to a 1970 Earth Day flag.
"In some of those contestations, people find the hope and the resiliency to move forward," Hartig said. "History is filled with those moments where we think we're completely falling apart as we did in the Civil War and then we're trying to figure out."
President Donald Trump waved as he arrived on Marine One at Joint Base Andrews on June 21, 2026, following a trip to Camp David. His party is at the forefront of debates on how to celebrate America's 250th anniversary.