Three of New Jersey's New England neighbors — Maine, Massachusetts, and Connecticut — have already said no to Trump's Great American State Fair. The 16-day event on the National Mall is being organized not by the bipartisan America250 commission that Congress established years ago, but by Freedom 250 — a group created directly by Trump's Cabinet task force to run parallel celebrations under White House control.

New Jersey is still on the fence.

That should not be a difficult decision for Governor Mikie Sherrill. She has been one of the most outspoken governors in the country against the Trump administration's overreach — fighting for detained immigrants at Delaney Hall, defending New Jersey's communities, and refusing to be bullied by federal pressure. Sending New Jersey staff and state dollars to Washington to help fill out a Trump administration festival would send exactly the wrong message.

The event has already unraveled in significant ways. The concert series fell apart after musician after musician refused to participate, citing the event's political affiliations. Trump stepped in to replace them with a rally headlined by himself. The same Freedom 250 program also includes a UFC fight on the White House lawn planned for the president's birthday.

New Jersey's 9 million residents deserve a governor who celebrates the nation's 250th anniversary on New Jersey's terms — not Washington's. The state has its own communities, its own events, and its own history worth honoring.

We're calling on Governor Sherrill to officially decline Freedom 250's invitation and make clear that New Jersey's resources belong in New Jersey.