A UFC fight at the White House. A D.C. Grand Prix. Why this N.J. lawmaker is pushing back on Trump’s lavish plans for nation’s 250th.

An Ultimate Fighting Championship bout on the White House lawn. Those are among the headline-grabbing events envisioned for the nation’s 250th birthday unveiled by President Donald Trump late last year. But it’s also drawing sharp criticism from one New Jersey lawmaker, who says the momentous anniversary now risks becoming a political sideshow. “It’s focused more on flash-bang than on history,” U.S, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, told NJ.com. “And it’s about him,” she added, of the president. The extravagant festivities, set to continue all year long, are being organized by Freedom 250, described by Trump in December as a nonpartisan group that aims to show the country “a time like you’ve never had in your lives.” But its work threatens to butt up against that of America250, a congressionally authorized bipartisan panel created more than a decade ago to lead the semiquincentennial celebration. Watson Coleman, one of commission’s 24 members, said Freedom 250 “is intentionally overshadowing” the commission’s efforts. A frequent Trump critic who is retiring when her term ends in January, Watson Coleman said the programming reflects what she called the president’s “egoistic” vision of the celebration. Aside from the UFC match, scheduled for June 14, Trump’s 80th birthday, and the D.C. Grand Prix, set for August, Freedom 250 is organizing the “Patriot Games,” a four-day youth athletic tournament, and a fleet of traveling museum exhibits known as “Freedom Trucks.” Representatives of Freedom 250 and the White House have said the initiative is intended to deliver an expansive national celebration. “President Trump is ensuring that America gets the spectacular birthday it deserves,” Davis Ingles, a White House spokesman, told ABC News last week. “The celebration of America’s 250th anniversary is going to display great patriotism in our Nation’s Capital and throughout the country.” The plans represents a stark contrast with the approach of the America250 commission, which has promoted more traditional civic and cultural programming aimed at broad public participation. Its initiatives include a nationwide volunteer effort, student art and writing contests, a time-capsule burial and large public events such as a gathering of tall ships in New York Harbor this summer. The commission has also pursued more high-profile partnerships, including a visible presence at this year’s Super Bowl, where a 250th-anniversary flag appeared in the pregame flyover and players wore commemorative patches. Watson Coleman said the commission’s focus is on presenting a fuller account of the country’s history and diversity. “We were hopeful that this would be something that celebrate all of America — all of its communities, all of its races, all of its diversity,” she said. But she rejected suggestions that the congressionally authorized effort has faltered in the face of competing programming. “It isn’t as if the commission has just sort of sat down and given up,” she said. For her part, the commission’s chair, Rosie Rios, a former Obama administration official, has offered an olive branch, telling USA Today in December that Trump “deserves to plan the celebration that he wants to plan, and we are very supportive of that.” She told the outlet that the two groups were independent of one another but working “very closely” on celebration plans. They are also sharing funding, according to a recent New York Times report. Last year, Congress appropriated $150 million for semiquincentennial activities, but America250 has received only a fraction of that amount so far — just $25 million, Watson Coleman said. Meanwhile, at least $10 million has already been directed to Freedom 250 projects, including the Freedom Trucks initiative, according to the Times. Watson Coleman said she expects Freedom 250 to receive much of the remaining purse, citing what she described as a recent “redirection” in the funding process. “So it now goes through the Interior Department and then a decision is made as to who gets the money,” she said. “It’s putting another step between the appropriation and the commission.” For Watson Coleman, the dispute reflects a broader fight over how the country should mark its founding. “I was very excited to be a part of A250,” she said. “And I still have that excitement and desire to have as much of our diverse story — everyone’s story — told.”