The federal programming leading up to the United States’ 250th anniversary this weekend has ranged from the genteel (essay contests for grade-schoolers and a national push for volunteerism) to the MAGA-coded (a “Freedom Truck” convoy and a UFC cage fight on the White House lawn). The events are the product of rival planning committees – one created last year by the Trump administration, another by Congress a decade ago.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder talks to Bloomberg Businessweek Senior Editor Laura Bliss about the funding battles and cronyism allegations that have dogged this year’s events – and how they echo earlier chapters of American history.

Read more: 
The Money and Influence Behind America’s Very MAGA 250th Birthday Party
Why the Great American State Fair Looks So Empty 

We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Laura Bliss; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott and Tracey Samuelson.

Fact-checking by David Fox; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

The federal programming leading up to the United States&rsquo; 250th anniversary this weekend has ranged from the genteel (essay contests for grade-schoolers and a national push for volunteerism) to the MAGA-coded (a &ldquo;Freedom Truck&rdquo; convoy and a UFC cage fight on the White House lawn). The events are the product of rival planning committees &ndash; one created last year by the Trump administration, another by Congress a decade ago.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder talks to Bloomberg Businessweek Senior Editor Laura Bliss about the funding battles and cronyism allegations that have dogged this year&rsquo;s events &ndash; and how they echo earlier chapters of American history.
Read more:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-06-24/how-trump-s-freedom-250-beat-out-america250-to-throw-us-a-birthday-party">The Money and Influence Behind America&rsquo;s Very MAGA 250th Birthday Party</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-02/why-trump-s-great-american-state-fair-in-washington-looks-so-empty?srnd=undefined">Why the Great American State Fair Looks So Empty</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts">Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.</a>
Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Laura Bliss; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott and Tracey Samuelson.
Fact-checking by David Fox; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

Big Take

On USA’s 250th, Even the Party Planners Are Divided

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/234eda4b-1118-4c49-91a0-b47c00cd2adf/transcript