Financial services giant Mastercard is listed among 10 corporate sponsors of Trump’s Freedom 250, a Christian nationalist-themed hijack of America’s birthday. A group of U.S. senators has launched an investigation into Freedom 250 over fundraising tactics, questioning access offered to donors.
By Nancy Levine Stearns | February 17, 2026
A group backed by President Trump that is organizing a Christian nationalist-themed project to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, is under investigation by U.S. senators for questionable fundraising tactics. Financial services giant Mastercard is listed among 10 corporate sponsors of Freedom 250.
Trump’s Freedom 250, which promotes Christian scripture and prayer as central to the country’s birthday celebration, is under scrutiny over fundraising tactics. A group of U.S. senators led by Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) has asked the White House to answer questions about donations in exchange for benefits, including access to Trump.
The New York Times reported a possible “pay-to-play” scheme for donors to Freedom 250 last week. The Times revealed that “packages for donors indicate that those who give $1 million or more will get invitations to a ‘private Freedom 250 thank you reception’ hosted by Mr. Trump, with a ‘historic photo opportunity.’ Those who give $2.5 million or more also are being offered speaking roles at an event in Washington on July 4.”
Following the Times’ reporting, a group of senators, led by Sen. Schiff, sent a letter to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles last week. The letter stated:
“It is also alarming that Meredith O’Rourke – identified as a lead fundraiser coordinating private donations for both the White House ballroom project and Freedom 250 – appears to be centrally involved in soliciting high-value contributions tied to access to the Office of the President and President Trump
himself in both efforts.”
Senators asked the White House to “Provide a complete list of all individual and corporate donors who have contributed to Freedom 250 to date, including the amount and date of each contribution,” along with details of benefits they were offered.
Among the other 10 corporate donors listed on the Freedom 250 site are consulting giant Deloitte and lawn and garden company Scotts Miracle-Gro.
Freedom 250 is Trump’s Christian nationalist hijack of America250, the official nonprofit entity celebrating America’s birthday. The U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission was established by Congress in 2016, and nonprofit America250 is a nonpartisan initiative “working to engage every American in commemorating the 250th anniversary of our country,” says the America250 website.
In a Congressional hearing last week, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Democrats “called out Republicans for allowing Trump to hijack America’s 250th Birthday celebration to sell access, hide his donors, and rewrite history — turning the country’s founding anniversary into a party exclusively for billionaires and a platform for Christian Nationalism.”
In his remarks, Rep. Huffman torched Republicans:
“And you, his little Duma, let him hijack the country’s 250th anniversary, and sell access, hide his donors, and rewrite history. They siphoned off $100 million of taxpayer money to bankroll propaganda, as the administration replaces the real story of our history with a whitewashed fantasy. The horror of slavery, the Native American genocide, all that is out. Censorship and gauzy Christian nationalism, written by Prager U, is in.”
As for the hidden donors, Judd Legum reported for Public Information that there may be other corporate donors besides the 10 companies listed on the Freedom 250 site. “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,” Legum reported.
Mastercard Faces Risk of Backlash
While the other nine corporate donors listed on the Freedom 250 site may face criticism, Mastercard faces heightened brand risk. A consumer-facing company with about 33,000 employees worldwide, Mastercard has made a uniquely robust commitment to inclusivity, sustainability, community and belonging initiatives — the sorts of programs that Trump has waged war against.
At Mastercard’s annual Global Inclusive Growth Summit last year, “leaders shared insights on delivering impact, growth and resilience for all in a fast-changing world,” presenting “9 lessons on inclusion, influence and trust.”
As for brand trust, consumers have demonstrated rabid disapproval of companies that betray their values to ally with Trump.
Retail giant Target has been smacked by boycotts: first, after it ditched its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI) last year, and again, after ICE agents arrested two Target employees who are U.S. citizens at a Target store in Minnesota, as Impactivize reported.
Mastercard maintains a robust commitment to inclusion, belonging, and sustainability. “Diversity & inclusion: We foster an inclusive culture because diverse perspectives build stronger teams,” the company says on its website.
The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, was founded by executive Shamina Singh in 2016. Mastercard’s Chief Community and Belonging Officer Randall Tucker says on the company’s website, “We strive to ensure everyone has access to opportunity and each person feels heard and valued. When we engage with and in our communities and create spaces where everyone belongs, we’re better as a company and as a business.”
Mastercard shareholders voted to reject an anti-DEI proposal put forth by a conservative activist group last year by a tally of 100-0 percent of voting shares (rounded to whole numbers), as Impactivize reported. Mastercard Board of Directors urged shareholders to vote against the proposal, writing in its proxy statement:
“Mastercard’s culture of community and belonging ensures all our colleagues have the opportunity to reach their full potential: To attract, develop, engage and retain high caliber people, we invest in our employees and focus on building a workplace and culture that drives innovation, embraces diverse perspectives, encourages collaboration, fosters well-being, and enables growth and opportunity.”
Consumers are reactive to feeling betrayed by brands they trust.
Alison Taylor, Clinical Associate Professor of Business & Society at New York University Stern School of Business, told Impactivize in an interview: “We are paying much more attention to brands that we think of as progressive having betrayed their commitments than we are to car racing companies or tech firms, where we’re not expecting very much.”
Consulting firm giant Deloitte is also listed among the 10 corporate sponsors of Freedom 250. Deloitte also makes a strong commitment to inclusivity, but Deloitte is not a consumer brand, so may not face the same scope of risk as Mastercard — though some of Deloitte’s 450,000 people worldwide may be asking questions of Deloitte leaders.
Trump’s Christian nationalist war against democracy
The Trump administration’s deployment of militarized ICE agents to U.S. cities, the war against DEI, and the Freedom 250 project all stem from the same roots: Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s 900-page manifesto for Christian nationalist regime change.
Trump’s war on DEI has been well documented, as has the Trump administration’s deployment of militarized immigration officers against U.S. residents. ICE agents murdered two protesters this year in Minneapolis, Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
In the current environment, consumer brands doing business with the Trump administration face a double-edged sword: Comply with Trump’s wishes or face his retaliation.
The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that 60 CEOs of Minnesota companies signed a tepid open letter last month calling for deescalation of ICE violence in Minneapolis. Former Medtronic Chairman and CEO Art Collins told the Star Tribune he supported the letter but wished it would have gone further by urging U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to pull out of Minnesota immediately.
“However, the White House has proven quick to retaliate against leaders who speak out, Collins said, citing last week’s lawsuit by President Donald Trump against J.P. Morgan and chief executive Jamie Dimon,” who has not fully kneeled to Trump.
But the risk companies face by bowing to Trump is escalating.
About Mastercard’s sponsorship of Freedom 250, Kellie McElhaney, Faculty and Founding Director of the Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership at the University of California Haas School of Business told Impactivize in an email:
“The U.S. is in a time of extreme polarization, heightened political unrest, uncertainty, and even fear given recent events in Minneapolis. We have been through 13 months of DEI backlash led by the Trump administration starting almost the moment he was elected. And so, Trump and DEI have become diametrically opposed. I think it is going to be impossible for any company who has publicly remained aligned with and committed to their DEI goals to also be sponsors of any celebration led by this administration and not face considerable backlash.”
Mastercard is likely aware of risk of consumer backlash. Youngme Moon is Chair of Mastercard’s Risk Committee on the company’s Board of Directors. Moon is a professor at Harvard Business School. The Trump administration has relentlessly attacked Harvard, filed multiple lawsuits to cancel funding and partner programs.
No one from Mastercard has responded to multiple inquiries.
Freedom 250, Trump’s Christian Nationalist Hijack of America’s Birthday
Freedom 250’s “Rededication” event, scheduled for May 17, is a 12-hour “national faith event” at the National Mall in Washington DC, focused on “rededicating our country as One Nation under God.” The Rededication web page includes a Proclamation by Trump, citing the Bible to cement the Christian nationalist version of America’s birthday. (It is not clear what the Bible says about Trump’s well documented relationship with sex trafficker of underage girls, Jeffrey Epstein.)
Freedom 250 cleaved from America250 at the start of the year.
As Mother Jones reported: “By January, Freedom 250—which Trump’s team controls—seemed to have taken charge of the most visible anniversary celebrations, including a series of events promoted by the Interior Department. In memos sent out that month, the National Park Service told its employees to replace ‘America250’ references and logos displayed online and in public with Freedom 250 insignias. ‘Freedom 250 is the Administration’s primary branding for all federal agencies participating in 250th activities,’ states one of the documents. Another memo encourages employees to add Freedom 250 logos to their email signatures—displacing the America250 logos that once resided there.
“’America250 is out,’ said one NPS official. ‘Now it’s all Freedom250.’”
Freedom 250’s Rededication page links to America Prays site, which says it’s the “Official Digital Hub of the Freedom 250” and “The White House has invited Americans to pray for our country.” The America Prays site instructs: “Listen to Scripture read aloud, reflect on God’s Word, and make daily prayer a simple habit for you and your household.”
As The Nation reported: “But these events are more than just vessels for influxes of cash—they’re promoting a right-wing bid to whitewash the history of the country, and promote the dogmatic worldview of Christian nationalism.”
Julie Ingersoll, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Florida wrote for LeMonde this month:
“In the US, Christian nationalism contributes to the dismantling of democracy.” She wrote: “today’s ‘Christian nationalism’ rejects the commitment to equality on which democracy depends,” and cites “powerful forces behind the current dismantling of democracy in the U.S.”
Among the powerful forces, Vice President JD Vance told a TPUSA audience last month: “By the grace Of God, we always will be a Christian nation.”
Trump’s Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russell Vought, an architect of Project 2025, once told an audience, “I’m a Christian. I am a nationalist. We were meant to be a Christian nation,” ProPublica reported.
Resistance to Trump’s Christian nationalist hijack of America’s Birthday
During the Congressional hearing last week, Ranking Member Rep. Huffman excoriated his Republican colleagues for allowing Trump’s Christian nationalist takeover of American democracy, as exemplified by Freedom 250. Rep. Huffman remarked:
“Here’s the truth. This corrupt, dishonest White House is trying to use America’s 250th milestone as a stage to promote an alternate reality. And Trump’s fake America, the darker parts of our past, are airbrushed out. Patriotic Americans, should be sounding the alarm throughout this 250th year about what’s happening right now in our country. An unaccountable, militarized secret police forces terrorizing communities, murdering some people in the streets for caring about their neighbors, and peacefully protesting.
“Actual history is getting whitewashed and censored from national parks and museums. Our democracy is teetering on the brink, as a deeply unpopular president, who knows he’s going to lose a free and fair election, proposes nationalizing elections, and all of you sit silently.
“A racist madman in the White House is using the bully pulpit of the presidency to spread hateful depictions of the Obamas as apes. Trying to blow up NATO, conquer Greenland, turn Canada into either an enemy or the 51st state, depending on his mood. Put his name and picture on everything like an insecure tin pot dictator.
“And you, his little Duma, let him hijack the country’s 250th anniversary, and sell access, hide his donors, and rewrite history. They siphoned off $100 million of taxpayer money to bankroll propaganda, as the administration replaces the real story of our history with a whitewashed fantasy. The horror of slavery, the Native American genocide, all that is out. Censorship and gauzy Christian nationalism, written by Prager U, is in.
“We should honor the 250th anniversary of America by telling the truth. And maybe if we did that, it would jar some of you folks into remembering the oath you swore to uphold for the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic.”
Mastercard is also sitting in silence.
Bowing to Trump: Millions.
Protecting your brand: Priceless.
No one from Mastercard or Deloitte responded to multiple inquiries.