For 250 years, people of all stripes have fought for, defended and advanced American democracy. But rather than focusing 250th anniversary celebrations on the people who make up that rich history, President Donald Trump is focusing it on himself and tarnishing it with his trademark corruption. 

This past December, Trump announced Freedom 250, a public-private partnership intended “to give America the most spectacular birthday party the world has ever seen.” This announcement came despite the existence and work of America250, a congressionally established nonpartisan commission tasked with planning and orchestrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Freedom 250 has effectively become a slush fund that allows corporations to give millions of dollars to fund Trump’s Fourth of July events in DC and for Trump to market his branded products. The organization recently “presented” an event at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, seemingly funneling corporate and taxpayer money into Trump’s pockets. It should go without saying that America’s founders would have been appalled by a president personally profiting from celebrations of the anniversary of their declaration that America would no longer be ruled by kings—as that same president consolidates power under himself and muses about running for an unconstitutional third term.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump declared that “we are going to host the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all” on July 4th against “the backdrop of the Lincoln Memorial and surrounding the beautifully new Reflecting Pool.” The reflecting pool, far from being beautifully restored, has run into a number of issues: the new blue paint has begun to peel, and the pool experienced significant algae blooms as the cost to taxpayers ballooned. The Trump administration may have run afoul of federal contracting and ethics laws when it awarded contracts for those renovations to Trump associates, without seeking bids through the typical full and open competition requirements for government contracts.

Anyone following the news knows that this is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the unprecedented corruption in Trump’s second term. For many Americans, myself included, this is infuriating and disheartening. How is it that our system of government is allowing a president to use our government like a personal piggy bank and steamroll this momentous occasion?

“How is it that our system of government is allowing a president to use our government like a personal piggy bank and steamroll this momentous occasion?”

The fact is that our democracy is not perfect, and never has been. Creating a “more perfect” union is a group project that requires commitment, endurance and change. As we approach July 4th, I have found myself reflecting on the countless Americans who over two and a half centuries refused to accept a government that was not of the people, by the people, and for all of the people. The Bill of Rights, the approval of the 14th Amendment after the Civil War, the Civil Rights movement and the passage of the Ethics in Government Act following Nixon’s impeachment were all responses to injustices created or permitted by shortcomings in our democracy at the time. At this moment, it is up to us to continue their legacy. 

What does that mean in practice? It means calling out the corruption we see and highlighting how it harms people across America, such as communities opposing data centers with ties to the administration spiking their energy costs, small businesses that lose out on federal contracts because they go to the president’s preferred vendor, or families struggling to get federal disaster relief funds because they live in a blue state. It means Congress using its oversight and legislative powers to curtail Trump’s self-enrichment and abuses of power—and when they don’t, demanding better. It means courts again and again stepping up to overturn Trump’s illegal policies, including in a recent string of losses in which the courts have rejected Trump’s efforts to undermine voting rights.

My former boss, the late Congressman Elijah Cummings, once posed a question to the American public that comes to mind often: “when we’re dancing with the angels, the question will be asked, [ ] what did we do to keep our democracy intact.” This is not the first time our democracy has faced adversity, and it will not be the last. The founders of this nation are not simply those who signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, but the men and women who protested, advocated, marched, fought, and in some cases, died to advance and extend our democracy to people not initially included in those founding documents.

It is up to us to meet this moment not solely with anger and disappointment, but with optimism, resolve and action. The most patriotic thing Americans can do to celebrate the anniversary of this country’s founding is to keep fighting for a stronger democracy—one that will survive another 250 years for generations yet unborn.