Local News
The “Freedom Truck” is supported by PragerU, a conservative media and advocacy organization, and partially funded by some federal agencies.
People lined up to view the “Freedom Truck” mobile history museum during a Maryland stop May 13. Julian Sorapuru/The Boston Globe
The Westfield Police Department canceled a planned visit by the President Donald Trump-backed “Freedom Truck” mobile history museum after determining the event’s political affiliations could undermine public trust in the agency, officials announced Monday.
In a Facebook post, the police department said it withdrew after learning more about the partisan affiliations of the organizations behind the traveling event.
The “Freedom Truck” is part of Freedom 250, an initiative organizing events for the nation’s 250th anniversary. The group was launched under the Trump administration and works alongside the White House Task Force 250, according to a Freedom 250 press release.
The traveling exhibit is also supported by PragerU, a conservative media and advocacy organization, and “receives partial funding from federal agencies,” such as the U.S. Department of Education, according to the police department.
The “Freedom Truck” was scheduled to stop at Westfield State University from June 14 to 16.
The department said it initially agreed to host the event because it appeared to offer a “free, educational, and family-friendly opportunity for community engagement.”
“At no time was our participation intended to endorse or promote any political ideology, organization, or viewpoint,” the department’s post reads. “However, over the past week it has become clear that some members of both the University and Westfield community perceive our involvement differently.”
Officials said they decided to withdraw from the event out of concern that continued participation could negatively affect community trust and confidence in the department.
According to the department’s original announcement, the “Freedom Truck” would have featured displays on the American Revolution, a digital copy of the Declaration of Independence, an AI-generated portrait of George Washington, and a wall honoring notable Americans, including Rosa Parks, Mark Twain, the Wright Brothers, and Aretha Franklin.
The “Freedom Truck” will be visiting Springfield, Massachusetts between Sept. 18 and Oct. 4 and includes additional locations across New England, with planned stops in Rhode Island and Connecticut, according to the Freedom 250 website.
The Westfield cancellation comes as other Freedom 250-affiliated events have faced public scrutiny and participant withdrawals.
Various performers and musical acts — such as Martina McBride, rocker Bret Michaels, and Morris Day — have all pulled out of the “Great American State Fair,” a planned Freedom 250 concert. They are among numerous other artists who have opted to cancel their participation in the event last week.
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