WATCH: Padilla Slams Trump for Turning America’s 250th Celebration into a Political Campaign

WATCH: Padilla: "President Trump couldn't help but try making America's 250th birthday all about himself."

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, condemned President Trump for politicizing the nation's upcoming 250^th anniversary celebration and using commemorative events to advance his personal and political agenda at a Senate Judiciary Constitution Subcommittee hearing.

"This is an exciting time, and it should serve as a moment of reflection on the totality of our nation's authentic history - not just the good, but the good and the not-so-good alike - to truly appreciate the promise of our nation and the promise of our nation's future," said Senator Padilla. "But sadly, and this isn't shocking… there are people like President Trump, especially President Trump, who want to rewrite our history, by ignoring parts that we ought to be learning from the most."

Padilla serves as one of the eight congressional Commissioners on the nonpartisan U.S. Semiquincentenniel Commission (America250), created in 2016 by Congress to oversee the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Since returning to office, Trump has repeatedly politicized 250th celebration events to promote his political agenda.

"The President used that [July 2025 America250] event - meant to launch the year-long countdown - to air his personal grievances, promote his political agenda, and rant about his hatred of Democrats," continued Senator Padilla. "Don't just take my word for it. Roll the tape. And in the time since, the President has created a whole new entity called Freedom 250… Confusing to some, to funnel money from taxpayers and donors to pay for his pet projects and events."

Padilla highlighted how Trump has continuously organized partisan events and pushed vanity projects through his Freedom 250 organization, which is funded by taxpayer dollars, and has put on events like the UFC Fight on the White House South Lawn and the "Salute to America" concert which the President has now announced will be a Trump rally.

Padilla underscored the importance of America250's celebration events as uplifting and unifying for Americans nationwide, and denounced Trump's efforts to undermine the ideals of democracy and nonpartisanship embraced by the America250 Commission.

"When it comes to America250 the transparency is absolutely there, but not when it comes to Freedom 250. In the face of all this, the President has done a hell of a job trying to undermine the work of America250," concluded Senator Padilla. "But I'm proud of the resilience of America250 under the leadership of Chair Rosie Rios and a bipartisan board in staying true to its mission, the mission that was unanimously adopted by America250 in March of 2024. That mission is, quote, 'to inspire our fellow Americans to reflect on our past, strengthen our love of country, and renew our commitment to the ideals of democracy through programs that educate, engage, and unite us as a nation.'"

Full video of Padilla's remarks is available here.

Transcript is available below:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You know, next week, as this committee has been talking about, and we're talking about increasingly around the Capitol and around the country, Americans will be coming together to celebrate not just Independence Day, but the United States of America's 250th birthday.

This is an exciting time, and it should serve as a moment of reflection on the totality of our nation's authentic history. Not just the good, but the good and the not so good alike, to truly appreciate the promise of our nation and the promise of our nation's future.

But sadly, and this isn't shocking and it's certainly not partisan, but I'm about to say just factual. There are people like President Trump, especially President Trump, who want to rewrite our history, by ignoring parts that we ought to be learning from the most. Now, this subcommittee hearing is yet another attempt to gloss over our past, even as we approach this historic milestone. As Mr. Whitehouse testified, Congress created the nonpartisan U.S. semiquincentennial commission back in 2016 to oversee the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

Congress had that foresight. It's going to take time to get this right. Ten years of planning and preparation. I was honored to ask to serve alongside my colleagues, Senators Capito, Murkowski, and Shaheen, as one of America250 Commission's eight bipartisan congressional commissioners. But as he can't help himself but do, especially with things that don't involve him, don't praise him, don't highlight him, President Trump couldn't help but try making America's 250th birthday all about himself.

Right around this time last year, we saw him start to hijack and politicize America250 events, including the kickoff celebration at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on July 3, a year ago. The president used that event - meant to launch the year-long countdown - to air his personal grievances, promote his political agenda, and rant about his hatred of Democrats. Don't just take my word for it. Roll the tape. And in the time since, the President has created a whole new entity called Freedom 250, confusing to some. To funnel money from taxpayers and donors to pay for his pet projects and events, projects like the UFC fight on the South Lawn of the White House, which happened to be on his birthday, his quote "Salute to America" concert which turned into a Trump rally instead after musicians refused to perform at a partisan event, and the upcoming Great American State Fair on the National Mall - which isn't going to even include all 50 states as participants.

None of these are official events organized by the America250 Commission. The commission has received modest annual appropriations and done its best to raise private money in spite of all this drama. But Congress and the public deserve answers about how much taxpayer money has been spent on all the Freedom 250 vanity projects that the President has directed. They deserve to know which donors have supported those efforts, let alone what requests might have been made alongside those contributions. How much of this has been pay-to-play or quid pro quo?

When it comes to America250 the transparency is absolutely there, but not when it comes to Freedom 250. In the face of all this, the President has done a hell of a job trying to undermine the work of America250. But I'm proud of the resilience of America250 under the leadership of Chair Rosie Rios and a bipartisan board in staying true to its mission. The mission that was unanimously adopted by America250 in March of 2024.

That mission is, quote, "to inspire our fellow Americans to reflect on our past, strengthen our love of country, and renew our commitment to the ideals of democracy through programs that educate, engage, and unite us as a nation."

That includes commission-approved programs like America's Field Trip, where students from across the country share their perspectives on what America means to them. And where they get a chance to earn a field trip to some of the nation's most iconic, historic, and cultural landmarks. That's true inspiration.

To celebrate the Fourth of July, there will be an all-American nonpartisan unifying celebration from coast to coast, beginning with a ball drop in New York City's Times Square and concluding, three time zones over, my home state of California at America's Block Party in the Los Angeles Coliseum which will be hosting the Olympics in two years, America's Olympics-with proceeds benefiting Feeding America. That is the true spirit of what the celebration was supposed to be about. That's the kind of uplifting and unifying celebration that we all need. So, Mr. Chairman, the questions and concerns that I have had have been raised by other members prior in this committee, but I had to go on record to uplift the work.

###