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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is using the White House as a central stage for major national celebrations tied to America’s 250th anniversary and the upcoming World Cup, according to an Associated Press report. After nearly all of the scheduled musical performers pulled out of a concert series for the semiquincentennial over concerns that the event had become too closely associated with him, Trump moved to make himself the headline attraction. He announced that he would now be the headlining act of the Great American State Fair, turning what had been planned as a broader commemorative concert into an official presidential production centered on his presence. WASHINGTON — The report says Trump’s decision to step in personally ended any prospect that he might recede from the spotlight during a national celebration intended to be larger than any single political figure. The episode offers a glimpse of how he is likely to approach the World Cup and other high-profile events that draw national and international attention. The Associated Press notes that Trump has long used public events, his own properties, and White House imagery to build his political persona, embracing a host-like role and treating the presidency as a platform for spectacle, control, and carefully staged political theater, including efforts to showcase and even overhaul official spaces.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.