America’s 250th anniversary should be a time for unity, for Americans to take pride in the country’s culture and accomplishments made possible by our constitutional freedoms. But Google News and the elitist media have tried to turn what should have been a triumphant national milestone into yet another opportunity to get jabs at President Donald Trump.  Rather than highlighting inspiring feature stories about American heritage, innovation, and tenacious spirit, Google News delivered a steady diet of negativity. The digital gatekeeper elevated story after story that framed patriotic events, like Americans praying on the National Mall and the Great American State Fair in the worst possible light, with not one positive story about the ongoing Freedom 250 events. MRC Findings:  Google News pushed 17 stories tied to Freedom 250 celebrations in June, including Rededicate 250, the White House UFC Fight, The Great American State Fair and the renovations of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. Every one of them was negative. Although there were plenty of inspiring and positive pieces, Google News could have chosen. But Google’s unspoken commitment to limiting right-leaning media sources excluded these stories. Google promoted a story that reduced the “Rededicate 250” event—gathering Americans to pray together on the National Mall— to coverage of a fuel leak. “30 gallons of fuel spilled on National Mall after event for America’s 250th birthday,” the NBC News headline read, failing to mention that the spill was reportedly an act of vandalism, not negligence. The Great American State Fair, a nonpolitical event celebrating American history and culture on the National Mall, was another media punching bag. Google News pushed a USA Today headline: “Great American State Fair opens with power outages, empty booths.” The headline conveniently left out what the article only concedes several paragraphs deep: many fairgoers had a great time at the event.  BuzzFeed went even lower, with one Google News headline blaring: “Vanilla Ice's Freedom 250 Concert Was Canceled For the Most Embarrassing Reason Ever.” This was even toned down from the headline BuzzFeed included on its website. While Vanilla Ice’s performance was indeed cancelled due to rain and forecasted thunderstorms, BuzzFeed used the story to politicize the celebration of American culture and Google was all too happy to promote the story. “Most of the announced slate of performers for the affiliated 'Freedom 250’ concerts have since dropped out… For, uh, obvious reasons,” the outlet wrote, sneering at Trump’s presidency.  Even aside from the Freedom 250 events, Google News amplified 12 stories about the absurdly controversial Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool renovations, which were repainted for the festivities. The reflecting pool has been a notorious money pit of maintenance headaches for nearly a century, plagued by sinking structures, leakage, algae and repairs. Yet the legacy media treated Trump’s maintenance attempt as the latest attack on his competence. The headlines and stories that Google News pushed reek of journalists taking pains to make drama out of a barely important story. The Washington Post had perhaps the most dramatic example of this with a column headlined: “At this point, the Reflecting Pool deserves an Emmy,” with the subheadline: “The scene unfolding on the National Mall is the must-watch show of the summer. It’s a drama. A farce. A whodunit. A murder mystery.” Other ridiculous headlines included: “A dead duck was seen in the Reflecting Pool. Then two more were found nearby,” by The Washington Post, promoted on June 23. “It’s not easy being green: Trump’s botched reflecting pool becomes 2,028ft metaphor,” by The Guardian, promoted on June 23. “Exclusive: Firm that worked on past Reflecting Pool renovation passed on Trump project after deeming it ‘unfeasible,’” by CNN, promoted on June 26. “The Reflecting Pool Appears to Be Rejecting Its Makeover,” by The New York Times, promoted on June 20. News outlets also went town with critical stories after chunks of “American flag blue” paint began surfacing in the reflecting pool. Law enforcement has reportedly made several arrests for vandalism, accusing suspects of cutting into the paint with knives.  “Troubled Reflecting Pool faces fresh scrutiny over vandalism claims and duck deaths,” by The Associated Press promoted on June 24. “Trump claims Reflecting Pool was vandalized and says law enforcement is investigating,” by CNN, promoted on June 20. “Davey Hearn: Former Olympian denies vandalising Washington Reflecting Pool after arrest,” by BBC promoted on June 21. There was no shortage of inspiring and positive pieces available to Google News. But the tech giant’s unwillingness to give a voice to right-leaning media sources barred unifying Freedom 250 stories from breaking through.  Breitbart has a whole page of its website devoted to “Celebrating American Greatness” in the lead-up to America’s milestone birthday.  Other pro-America stories included:  “Great American State Fair opens in DC with flyovers, Ferris wheel for America 250,” by Fox News.  “'Great American State Fair' Kicks Off US 250th,” by Newmax. Trump kicks off Great American State Fair celebrating America’s 250th anniversary: ‘The best is yet to come,’” by New York Post. “Exclusive—Richard C. Lyons: ‘Everybody Must and Will Be a Soldier’: The American Tradition of Service and Sacrifice Started in 1776” by Breitbart. Methodology: Using MRC’s Digital News Tracker, MRC Free Speech America researchers examined the top 20 stories promoted by Google News in the month of June. Researchers looked for any stories that made mention of the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, Freedom 250 celebrations, or preparations for Freedom 250 celebrations, like the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool renovations.  Researchers then analyzed headlines and stories for story framing, wording, the inclusion or exclusion of key details. For example, researchers found stories where the first half of the story and headline noted everything wrong with a Freedom 250 event before explaining that this did not seem to bother those in attendance. Researchers similarly analyzed the hedging language used to frame quotes from President Trump in comparison to those accused of a crime.