A rehearsal at the Great American State Fair was abruptly halted after a section of the main stage came crashing down dangerously close to the dancers.
As if the 250th anniversary celebrations in the capital haven’t been troubled enough, with lackluster attendance, a brutal heatwave, environmentally damaging fireworks, and restrictive security measures due to Donald Trump’s planned speech, Thursday’s incident was another cause for concern.
In a video shared online by progressive media influencer Aaron Parnas, two groups of young dancers on stage can be seen going through their routine to music when a large, rectangular piece of the structure falls from above, narrowly missing the group on stage right.
At least one of the dancers seemed to see the object in mid-air before it hit the stage, and ran out of the way.
There appeared to be around 18 dancers on stage at the time, with nine in each group. Two men were also on the side of the stage nearest the point of impact.
After the loud thud, one of the three female singers continued, but then the music stopped, as did the dancers.
The name of the group performing on stage wasn’t immediately clear. The White House referred the Daily Beast to Freedom 250, which did not identify the group. A spokesperson said in a statement:
“We’re grateful to report that everyone is safe. We take the safety of our performers, crew, volunteers, and guests extremely seriously. The work underway was taking place on the backside of the stage, separate from the front thrust where performers were rehearsing. Additional safeguards and senior technical oversight are now in place as preparations continue. Freedom 250 and our performers remain fully focused on delivering an unforgettable celebration for the American people.”
Trump, 80, claimed last Wednesday when he opened the Great American State Fair that the holiday festivities would be unparalleled.
“On July 4th, we will have the greatest show of all on the National Mall. Your favorite president will be speaking. So please show up,” he pleaded to a crowd that was leaving as he was speaking. “Because if we have two empty seats, you know what’s gonna happen? The fake news is gonna say, ‘He didn’t fill out the arena.’”
Trump has reportedly been “livid” about the poor attendance at the fair, and some White House officials who shared revealing photos from his speech were even told to delete them from their social media accounts.
Trump, in a Truth Social post early Monday morning, insisted that all is well.
“Do you think people appreciate what a fantastic job we did in building and operating the Great American State Fair at the National Mall, packed with happy people, and everybody loving it?” he wrote. “Ask yourself this simple question, ‘DO YOU THINK THAT OBUMA OR SLEEPY JOE BIDEN COULD HAVE DONE IT?’ THE ANSWER IS NO!”
