A snarky, negative take on Trump's celebration of America's 250th birthday, framing it as a poorly attended, self-focused mess.

• The Great American State Fair on the National Mall is drawing light crowds, and attendees are calling it a Trump rally.
• Power outages hit the food tents, melting the ice cream and knocking out heat for $25 pretzel rolls.
• Most musical acts dropped out, leaving Lee Greenwood and Alexis Wilkins, who is FBI Director Kash Patel's girlfriend, as headliners.
• The event leans heavily on Trump imagery, including a plywood mockup of his proposed "Arc de Trump" arch.
• The bigger point: many Americans feel too financially stretched and gloomy to celebrate, and Trump is cast as the face of American decline.

Outlook: The 250th festivities look set to stay a partisan, thinly attended affair rather than a national celebration.