Images marking America's 250th year are projected onto the Washington Monument on Jan. 1. (Peter W. Stevenson/The Washington Post) Two groups -- one with the imprimatur of Congress, the other with President Donald Trump's blessing -- are jockeying to host celebrations marking America's 250th anniversary, sparking confusion, muddled messages and new scrutiny from Democrats who ask why the Trump-aligned group is receiving federal money.

As the United States prepares to turn 250, the Trump administration is turning the celebration into a pay-to-play spectacle where even a speaking role on the National Mall is up for sale.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- America's 250th anniversary arrives at a time of deep political divisions and, in some quarters, heightened anxiety over whether representative government in the world's oldest democracy can be sustained.

President Donald Trump convened the commissioners of the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL at the White House this week as part of early planning tied to the United States' upcoming 250th anniversary in 2026.