Massachusetts woman steps in after 'shameful' Dem governor boycotts Great American State Fair
A patriotic woman from Massachusetts took matters into her own hands after leaders in her state decided to boycott the Great American State Fair out of anger at President Donald Trump — and she showed no mercy to those who made that decision.
"I came here to represent Massachusetts because I didn't want the public to walk into an empty room. I wanted somebody to be there," said Donna Festinger, who paid her own way from the Bay State to the nation's capital to celebrate 250 years of American independence.
Festinger is manning her state's booth at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, part of the Trump-aligned Freedom 250 event that began on June 25 and ends on July 10.
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She had a clear message for Massachusetts leadership, along with the leadership of other states who also declined to participate in the celebration.
"I'm very disappointed that Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts decided — their governments decided not to support this effort to celebrate our American heritage," she said. "It's actually shameful."
"It makes me feel like they really don't love America or Massachusetts — my governor," she said of Democrat Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, who has had some very public spats with Trump.
Festinger, a former teacher who paid her own way to the event in Washington, D.C., and arrived at the beginning of the celebration, says she plans to stay through the entire 16-day event.
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She told Fox News Digital that she thinks the state boycotts are actually a point of unity for the American public, "because most people are upset about it and do not understand why a governor would do that."
"And so that's actually uniting people, Democrats, Republicans, independents, and agreeing that every state should be proud of our country," Festinger speculated.
She added: "I think the Trump administration is working hard to bring the country together."
Meanwhile, Healey, known for her rabid anti-Trump streak, mocked the fair in an interview with Boston Public Radio.
Asked whether she would welcome Trump if he visited the state, she reportedly said the president is "too busy with his Great American State Fair down there that everybody’s bailing on."
She also claimed, without evidence, that Trump is using the fair to "get money into his own pocket," and falsely claimed that states were being charged to participate in the fair.
Festinger also recently garnered some backup at the Massachusetts booth.
Judith Kalaora, a Boston resident, stood at the state's stand dressed to the nines in a Revolutionary War uniform to honor Deborah Sampson, a Massachusetts woman who disguised herself as a man to fight the British.
"I'm hopeful that my being here will unite folks to realize that Boston and Massachusetts have a great spirit, and that that spirit can unite the United States through our nation's heritage and through our military history," said Kalaora.
"I believe that the United States, in 250 years, has accomplished many more achievements than other nations have accomplished in 400 and 500 years,"
Eleven states, all run by Democrats, decided to skip the fair.
Some had explicitly anti-Trump reasons for declining to participate, like Illinois Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker, citing what he said is Trump's "politicization of America 250 activities."
Oregon's leadership expressed a similar sentiment, though did not mention Trump by name.
"The State of Oregon will not be participating in the Great American State Fair due to both the cost of participating in the Fair and growing concerns that the event in Washington, D.C. is shaping up to be a more partisan affair than originally presented," Democrat Gov. Tina Kotek's office said in a statement.
Kalaora, however, remains optimistic.
"Times change, and emotions change, and that's okay, as long as we still remember that we've done great things," she said.
"I'm happy to be here."