00:00Congress set aside $150 million to throw America a 250th birthday party.
00:05The bipartisan group they picked to run it only got $25 million.
00:09The group that President Trump started with a similar name got tens of millions more.
00:13So who actually paid for this party and who's cashing in the checks?
00:17Here's what's happening.
00:18Okay, so back in 2016, Congress set up a bipartisan commission to plan the big 250th anniversary.
00:24They called it America 250.
00:26Then in 2025, Trump signs an executive order and makes his own version, later branded Freedom 250.
00:33And here's the thing, it's not even its own non-profit.
00:36It's a company tucked inside the National Parks Foundation.
00:39So Congress hands $150 million for the anniversary over to the Interior Department.
00:44And according to a House Committee report from Democrats on the panel,
00:48America 250 was promised $100 million of it.
00:51Then it was lowered to $50 million, and so far, they've only gotten $25 million.
00:56Meanwhile, federal records show Interior sent at least $68 million to the foundation where Freedom 250 lives.
01:03Now, this matters because it's public money, and it's getting split between two groups
01:08with the same birthday celebration, the same cause, and basically the same name.
01:12Freedom 250 says the whole report is a partisan smear.
01:16Nothing was earmarked for either side, so the money diversion claims are baseless.
01:20Their spokesperson throws it right back, saying America 250 burned a decade and $120 million with basically nothing to show
01:27for it.
01:28Now, there are reports out there saying this discrepancy was intentional,
01:31and that Trump officials gave donors the bank information for Freedom 250,
01:35when they really meant to donate to America 250, but that's from unnamed sources.
01:40Snopes took a look at it and called it unproven,
01:42and Freedom 250 says every sponsor got paperwork with its name right on it.
01:47So, would you be fine with your tax dollars funding the president's version of the party,
01:51or does the group Congress picked deserve the money?
01:54Drop your take in the comments and follow us here for more.
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