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Donald Trump has said his first act after he’s sworn in on January 20 will be appointing a task force to plan for the country’s 250th anniversary in 2026 — and he picked Iowa as the spot for a major exposition.
“The Great American State Fair will showcase the glory of every state in the union, promote pride in our history,” Trump said, “and promote innovative visions for America’s future.”
A video Trump posted on social media back in May of 2023 is recirculating online after X owner Elon Musk commented on it. Trump said he’d work with all the nation’s governors to create pavilions for each state that will be set up on the Iowa State Fairgrounds — for a year-long expo.
“My hope is that the amazing people of Iowa will work with my administration to open up the legendary Iowa State Fairgrounds to host the Great American State Fair and welcome millions and millions of visitors from around the world to the heartland of America for this special one-time festival,” Trump said. “Together we will built it and they will come.”
Governor Kim Reynolds, in a post on social media today, said Iowans “know the Iowa State Fair is the best fair in the country!…We stand ready to host the Great American State Fair.”
Reynolds was at Trump’s Election Night party in Florida Tuesday night.
Jeremy Parsons, the manager and CEO of the Iowa State Fair, issued a written statement. “We know the world’s greatest state fair is in Iowa, but no formal request or inquiry has been made for use of the Iowa State Fairgrounds at this time,” Parsons said.
Trump has visited the Iowa State Fair twice. He also held a rally on the fairgrounds in October of 2021 and in 2016 Trump spoke at a fundraiser for Senator Joni Ernst that was held in the livestock pavilion. Trump’s first State Fair visit was in 2015. He flew his helicopter over the fairgrounds, then walked through the throngs of fairgoers on the same day Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were at the fair. In 2023, Trump visited the State Fair on the same day as Republican rival Ron DeSantis. Trump stopped at the Iowa Pork Producers’ grill, walked down the fair’s Grand Concourse and spoke to supporters who’d gathered inside a beer hall.
