Illinois among states opting out of Trump-backed America 250 fair

The states: Illinois, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and North Carolina.

The reason: States have cited high participation costs and lack of interest from potential sponsors. Also, politics.

State of play: "Gov. Pritzker decided last year to not utilize state resources or delegates, anticipating Trump's politicization of America 250 activities," a spokesperson for the governor's office tells Axios.

Reality check: Illinois won't have an official state exhibit, but it won't be entirely absent. The Peoria Riverfront Museum is participating independently.

• "The Peoria Riverfront Museum volunteered to represent Illinois at the Great American State Fair," a Pritzker spokesperson added. "The museum will build an Illinois-centric pavilion. State funds were not used to pay for the Museum's travel, registration or exhibit design and giveaways."

The intrigue: Freedom 250, a public-private partnership established through an executive order by President Trump, organized the fair and asserts it's a nonpartisan organization.

• Freedom 250 built a pavilion for every state and territory, but participating states are responsible for designing, furnishing and shipping their own exhibits to Washington.

Zoom in: Illinois isn't sitting out the semiquincentennial altogether. The state has held its own yearlong America 250 events, awarded 250 public art grants and will join every state in a simultaneous public reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 8.

Of note: The Great American State Fair runs through July 10.