Associated Press reporting from July 1, 2026, documented celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, including a June 28 Great American State Fair on the National Mall featuring a Ferris wheel with the U.S. Capitol visible behind it. The coverage referenced two 1905 Mark Twain statements distinguishing loyalty to the nation from conditional loyalty to the government. Analyses from progressive, conservative, libertarian, and critical viewpoints interpret the event and quotes through differing lenses on institutional legitimacy and national unity.