Secretary McMahon delivered a keynote address on July 10 at ‘The Next 250 – Innovation’ event during the final day of the Great American State Fair. In her remarks, she highlighted the importance of innovation in shaping America’s future and reflected on two and a half centuries of national progress.
McMahon began by expressing gratitude to Freedom250 organizers, volunteers, law enforcement, medical staff, and President Trump for their roles in commemorating the nation’s Semiquincentennial. She said, “I know I join many Americans in expressing my gratitude for the visionaries at Freedom250 and the selfless volunteers who planned and executed this momentous celebration; our law enforcement and medical staff who kept all of us safe; and for President Trump, who ensured our Semiquincentennial is honored with the reverence it deserves.”
She described America’s rapid development from a society powered by hand tools to one defined by automation, robotics, computing, nuclear energy, air conditioning, smartphones, antibiotics, airplanes, rockets, aircraft carriers, and artificial intelligence. “Our Founders would have been knocked off their feet in awe to know that the nation they forged would one day plant the American flag on the moon above them,” McMahon said.
McMahon emphasized that education is essential to sustaining innovation. She stated that President Trump’s mission aims to return control over education to states while promoting excellence: “This is precisely what drives President Trump’s mission to return education to the states and revitalize excellence in American education. In every aspect of his education agenda, President Trump is restoring what makes American innovation possible.”
She cited Mississippi’s improvement in literacy scores as evidence that state-led initiatives can succeed when given flexibility: “Look at Mississippi. After years of struggling with dismal literacy scores…they went from being ranked the second-worst state in the nation in 2013…to top ten in 2024.” She also discussed expanding educational options through scholarships and workforce training programs such as Workforce Pell.
Concluding her speech on an optimistic note about America’s future potential if core values are maintained through its institutions and culture, McMahon said, “By sustaining this work we will ensure the next 250 years are even greater than last.”