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The Trump administration has announced that it is holding a competition show that pits American small business owners against each other for $1 million worth of prizes — except the show’s five finalists have already been chosen, and records show at least three of them listed as military contractors.

The “live finale event” of the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) “Million Dollar Pitch Competition,” marketed as part of the America 250 celebration, is slated to be held in D.C. and broadcast live on September 18th. On Monday, the agency announced that the show, sponsored by point-of-sale technology company Clover, will be judged by rapper Nicki Minaj, private equity company owner and real estate investor Grant Cardone, and Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia. The host is actor and TV host Dean Cain.

In the show, the finalists “will pitch their small businesses for a chance to win a portion of a $1 million cash prize pool” to the celebrity judge panel, according to the SBA. All five businesses are slated to earn prize money, with the first place winner getting $400,000 in prize money, down to $75,000 for fifth place.

Earlier this year, the SBA opened up a “Patriot Pitch Competition” in which businesses were judged for their contributions to categories like “strengthening American competitiveness” and “economic impact.” Applicants were whittled down to a selection of 68 by SBA officials, and eventually down to five finalists in July, who were chosen by........

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