Donald Trump is relying on his favorite staffer to draw crowds to his Great American State Fair.
The president, 80, welcomed supporters to the 16-day festival on June 24 at the National Mall.
His appearance attracted hundreds of citizens to the grassy area between patriotic installations celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.
That modest turnout appeared to be a one-off, because embarrassing footage from the grounds of the ongoing event shows a trickle of people at a time passing through the site.
The humbling optics defy Trump’s own claims that the fair is “packed with happy people” but did not deter network cameras from filming there.
“Fox & Friends” broadcasted live from the fair with Trump’s most trusted spokesperson, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. She teased that her boss has an explosive stunt planned that people would not want to miss.
“It is an amazing week. How cool that we are alive and get to experience America’s 250th birthday,” Leavitt began in a June 29 promo video.
She continued hyping up the fair with the promise of another Trump appearance.
Leavitt said, “The president is going to have a really busy week. On Wednesday, he’s going to North Dakota for a speech at the Theodore Roosevelt Library, on Friday, he’s going to South Dakota for a speech at Mt. Rushmore, and then here on Fourth of July, Saturday night, big speech and the largest fireworks show in history.”
Onlookers couldn’t turn away from the empty pavilion in the background.
The brutal reactions ranged from someone asking, “Is she the only one celebrating…?” to “Guess you can’t AI generate people in the background of your video like they did with the pictures” and “Everyone must be wearing green and the lawn is the green screen. LMAO.”
The mockery continued with comments that read, “Turn round there’s no one there” and “She must be so popular. With Leavitt’s arrival, the Fair’s attendance doubled!”
Leavitt, 28, returned to work this month after eight weeks of maternity leave. She and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, 60, welcomed a daughter, Vivian, on May 1. They are also parents to a toddler son, Niko.
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Although she was not leading press briefings, Leavitt was never off the clock. She continued spinning positive press for Trump by posting photos from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, attending his White House birthday bash, and supporting his initiatives on X.
Her first big task after returning to work was reiterating Trump’s claim that detractors were to blame for the peeling paint in the reflecting pool.
The poorly renovated monument resurfaced when someone remarked, “Thought I was looking at the reflecting pool then realised it’s just an empty stretch of grass.”
LET’S GO 🔥 Karoline Leavitt just said America will be putting on the BIGGEST firework show the world has ever seen for 4th of July
— MAGA Voice (@MAGAVoice) June 28, 2026
Karoline looks stunning 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Kx2eaU0Myq
While Leavitt wants everyone to witness the “once-in-a-lifetime” spectacle, she also admitted that it is interfering with her home life.
“It’s past bedtime; it’s a family discussion we have to have if it’s worth keeping two very young children up that late and then running July 5,” she told Fox News days before detailing the president’s speech schedule.
One critic snapped, “She has serious issues.” Two more people ribbed her by commenting, “Will she keep her geriatric husband awake as well?” and “Trump’s going to screw it up somehow. He always does.”
Trump’s pyrotechnics extravaganza is expected to begin between 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m., a departure from its traditional 9 p.m. display.
