Trump Marks 250th Anniversary Of American Independence By Starving Its Bipartisan Commission Of Funds And Steering Donors' Money Toward His Own Freedom 250, Resolving Long-Standing Concern That The Country's Birthday Was Still Being Planned By People Other Than The President

WASHINGTON. Marking the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding on the freedoms of speech, assembly, and self-government, President Trump on Saturday completed his rescue of the milestone from the bipartisan commission Congress had created to plan it, redirecting tens of millions of dollars and an unspecified number of donors' wire transfers toward Freedom 250, a nonprofit organized around his preferred branding.

The United States Semiquincentennial Commission, established by Congress in 2016 to organize a nonpartisan commemoration, told lawmakers earlier this year that it faced a shortfall of roughly $100 million after the administration declined to release funds appropriated for the celebration. Over the same period, Freedom 250, the Trump-backed group, received $68 million in taxpayer funds, resolving a long-standing concern that the country's birthday party was still being planned by people accountable to more than one man.

"Nobody has done more for 250 than me, and frankly nobody loves 1776 more than I do," the President said, according to remarks delivered from a stage bearing his name in larger type than the year. "They wanted a boring, bipartisan thing. We made it beautiful."

An interim congressional report released in the run-up to the holiday found that donors who intended to give to the official commission's nonprofit had in some cases been provided incorrect wire instructions, causing their contributions to arrive instead at Freedom 250. Investigators noted that the arrangement could constitute potential wire fraud and charitable solicitation fraud, a characterization a source within the administration described as "the kind of thing that sounds bad only if you write it down."

Congressional Democrats accused the President of converting a shared national observance into a promotional event for himself, a complaint the White House dismissed as evidence that its critics did not love the country enough to fund the version of it that reported to him. Republican members downplayed the dispute, noting that there was, in the words of one, plenty of room for everybody, provided everybody sent the money to the correct account.

At press time, donors hoping to contribute to the nation's 251st anniversary had been advised to hold their checks until updated wire instructions could be provided.