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Maine is among at least six states not sending a delegation to President Donald Trump’s state fair.
The other states are California, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Oregon, according to NOTUS.
That comes as the Trump himself is slated to serve as the opener of the Great American State Fair when it opens on June 25, after a number of musical artists canceled their performances, saying they had been misled about the show’s theme or are wary of getting pulled into a political fight, The Associated Press reported last month.
Trump has likened his scheduled appearance at the fair as a “rally,” raising concerns that the event on the National Mall in Washington, meant to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, was being politicized.
Maine officials didn’t respond to follow-ups from NOTUS about alternative plans for the fair.
The leadup to the 250th anniversary celebration has been beset with other controversies, including Trump withholding millions from the congressionally created America250 group, which was directed to organize educational and volunteer programming around the semiquincentennial. The bipartisan group has told Congress it is facing a steep shortfall, according to NOTUS.
Meanwhile, the Interior Department has given at least $68 million to Freedom 250, which is organizing the state fair and other programming preferred by Trump. It is headed by a former Trump appointee from his first term, NOTUS reported.
The fair is slated to run through July 10.