Major corporations bankroll "America First" propaganda
Mastercard, Deloitte, and ExxonMobil are spending millions to promote events supporting Trump and his divisive political agenda.
Major corporations — including Mastercard, Deloitte, and ExxonMobil — are spending millions to promote President Trump and some of his most divisive policy initiatives. The corporations are sponsoring Freedom 250, which bills itself as a “non-partisan organization leading the celebration of our Nation’s 250th birthday.” But internal documents obtained by Popular Information reveal that Freedom 250 is bankrolling events promoting Trump and his political agenda.
Corporations pay between $500,000 and $10 million to become a Freedom 250 sponsor. Those who donate $1 million or more get invited to a private reception with Trump. For $2.5 million or more, sponsors receive a speaking role at the 4th of July celebration in Washington, D.C. The benefits for sponsors were first reported by the New York Times.
Freedom 250 will purportedly use the money to host events across the country celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday. But an “Events Toolkit” produced by Freedom 250 and labeled “DRAFT DELIBERATIVE NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION” reveals the events will actually promote pro-Trump political talking points.
For example, a “Talking Points & Messaging Guide” suggests partner organizations feature “issue-based messaging.” One featured message: “President Trump and America First leaders are restoring election integrity and protecting the voice of every legal citizen.” The idea that election integrity needs to be “restored” is based on the conspiracy theory, promoted by Trump, that the 2020 election was stolen. It also promotes the falsehood that “legal citizen” votes are being diluted by ineligible voters.
The “Events Toolkit” also instructs organizational partners that the “CORE THEME TO ELEVATE” is “President Trump’s Freedom250 Vision.” This entails praising specific executive orders issued by Trump, including “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.”
That order, which was signed last March, has resulted in “the removal of signs and exhibits related to slavery at multiple national parks.” New brochures at the former home of Medgar Evers, who was murdered by a member of the Ku Klux Klan, will no longer refer to Evers’ killer as “racist.” In other cases, signs “referring to the forced removal of Native Americans“ were removed from parks.
Freedom 250 is now telling partner organizations to say that this kind of historical erasure is “uniting Americans across the country.”
Other “talking points” explicitly call on partner organizations to align themselves with Trump’s political project: “[W]e’re proud to stand with the America First movement.”
The document also calls on partner organizations to use Freedom 250 events to mobilize “America First” voters, urging them to pair rallies for “election integrity” and “parental rights” with “voter registration booths.”
Deloitte, Mastercard, and ExxonMobil did not respond to a request for comment.
Deloitte, however, has won over $100 million in new work from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) since Trump took office in 2025, according to an FT analysis. Among the new assignments is a contract for “internet research and data analytics support services” to support ICE’s targeting operations. A donation of a few million to Freedom 250 is a small price to pay if it keeps Deloitte in the Trump administration’s good graces.
Mastercard, meanwhile, faces a threat to its core business after Trump proposed a 10% cap on credit card interest rates. Although there were reports that Trump would issue an executive order imposing the restriction, he has not done so. Trump also has endorsed legislation that would bring more competition to the lucrative credit card processing fee industry. Thus far, that legislation has not advanced. All of this means that, for Mastercard, the access to Trump provided by sponsoring Freedom 250 could be extraordinarily valuable.
ExxonMobil is seeking to repair its relationship with the Trump administration after its CEO, Darren Woods, drew Trump’s ire at a high-profile White House meeting. Woods said that Venezuela, absent a change in local laws, was “uninvestible.” Trump was using the event to highlight the economic opportunities in Venezuela after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro in a military raid. Trump said he would seek retribution against ExxonMobil. “I didn’t like Exxon’s response,” Trump told reporters. “I’ll probably be inclined to keep Exxon out.”
The full list of corporate donors is unknown. A representative for the National Parks Foundation, which is serving as the legal vehicle for Freedom 250, told a Congressional committee on Tuesday that it would keep donors anonymous upon request.
Freedom 250 is separate from America250, a bipartisan group that was established by Congress in 2016. America250 is engaged in traditional activities, such as promoting volunteerism and collecting stories from Americans. (Deloitte is also a sponsor of America250.)
In contrast, Freedom 250 is planning an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) match on the White House lawn on Trump’s birthday, along with a 250-foot-tall “Independence Arch” in the style of the Arc de Triomphe.
Great reporting again while against so many odds!
Judd, stay safe!
These crooks are dangerous.
The truth continues to expose their lies…Their absolute greed!
Such a pathetic bunch.
That these corporations would seek to align themselves with those in power isn't surprising. What makes it appalling is that they're helping fund the rewriting of American history to sanitize its darker elements and to erase the experiences of marginalized groups. I read this morning that the Pride flag was just removed from the Stonewall National Monument. Grotesque stuff happening right now.