America turns 250 this Fourth of July – the biggest birthday party this country has ever thrown.
San Diego County's Democrat-run board had full control of the official celebration.
What they put on the official schedule before the national anthem says everything about the Democrat Party in 2026.
Democrats Replaced the Declaration of Independence With a Land Acknowledgment and Two Hours of DEI
In February, Republican San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond introduced a motion to honor the occasion properly – a tribute to the Declaration of Independence and the region's deep ties to America's military and civic heritage.
The Democrat-controlled board, holding a 3-2 majority, gutted it.
They passed an amendment handing planning authority to the county's Office of Equity and Racial Justice and directing the event to center on tribal nations, immigrant communities, LGBT groups, and what the board called "historically underserved populations."
The result is a government-produced event that reads, in the words of Club for Growth President David McIntosh, like "the opening ceremony of the Democratic Socialists of America convention."
Internal county documents obtained by Fox News Digital confirm it.
The official run of show opens with a "Tribal Intimate blessing welcoming to land," followed by a "Welcoming and Land Acknowledgment," then a "Tribal Invocation," then the Black national anthem, and finally the actual national anthem.
After that comes nearly two hours of community-story segments spotlighting tribal, Latino, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, LGBT, and Black and African communities.
The Declaration of Independence is not on the schedule.
One Sponsor Refused to Sign – and the Event Is Already Broke
The Democrat board also mandated that any business donating to the event first sign a form pledging alignment with the county's DEI principles and support for immigrant communities.
One sponsor refused.
A pending $2,500 donation evaporated the moment the donor saw that requirement, according to internal county staff emails reviewed by Fox News Digital.
That may sound like a small number – but county staff confirmed in those same emails the event cannot cover the cost of a full stage, lighting, and sound setup.
Democrats turned America's 250th birthday party into a DEI loyalty test, and now they can't afford the speakers.
El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells wrote on X, posting the internal documents alongside a two-point alternative plan: "1. Acknowledge America and its greatness. 2. Celebrate with fireworks and the American National Anthem."
"Independence Day, especially this one, is about celebrating and honoring America," Wells told Fox News Digital. "What the county of San Diego has created ignores this in favor of grievance and a sense that our country is not great or worthy of pride. That's just offensive, especially in light of the fact that they're using taxpayer money to do so."
Anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck called the schedule "vile," arguing Democrats are "essentially excluding White community members from the Fourth of July."
Fox News Digital reached out to San Diego County and its Department of Parks and Recreation for comment – and got nothing back.
San Diego Democrats Show Record-Low Patriotism Is Not a Poll Number It Is a Party Platform
San Diego is not an outlier.
A new Gallup poll released days before America's 250th anniversary found that only 14% of Democrats describe themselves as "extremely proud" to be American – a 56-point gap from the 70% of Republicans who said the same.
That number has collapsed from 54% as recently as 2001, when both parties still largely agreed that America was worth celebrating.
San Diego's Democrat supervisors didn't stumble into this event design accidentally.
They built a July 4th celebration that mirrors exactly what their base actually believes – that America's founding is a wound to be acknowledged, not a victory to be honored.
The grandparents who remember America's Bicentennial in 1976 – the celebrations, the tall ships, the fireworks, the national pride – are watching Democrats turn the Semiquincentennial into a land acknowledgment ceremony.
They chose grievance over glory – and they're doing it on the taxpayer's dime.
Sources:
- Alec Schemmel, "Internal emails expose how July 4th bash is being derailed by Dem-run county: 'Offensive'," Fox News, July 1, 2026.
- Skye Graham, "Only 14% Of Dems Are 'Extremely Proud' To Be American," The Federalist, June 29, 2026.
- Washington Examiner Staff, "Patriotism reaches new low ahead of 250th anniversary," Washington Examiner, June 28, 2026.