North Carolina declined to fund an official state booth at Trump's Great American State Fair, so a privately sponsored North Carolina pavilion was set up instead — which briefly displayed a Confederate flag before organizers removed it. The pavilion was organized by private sponsors selected to fill state vacancies at the event, rather than by a random individual actor. This highlights how budget decisions by states can create openings for private sponsors to represent a state's image at national events — and the reputational risk when those sponsors make poor judgment calls.