Trump Calls for Cancellation of Freedom 250 Festival
US President Donald Trump has called for the cancellation of musical performances planned to celebrate the country's 250th birthday following the withdrawal of several artists who cited the event's association with the White House as their reason for pulling out.
"Cancel it,"he stated in a post on Truth Social, describing the scheduled performers as "overpriced" and "boring."
As of Sunday, only a few musical acts remained scheduled to perform out of the nine originally announced on Wednesday. Artists including Martina McBride, The Commodores, Young MC, and Bret Michaels have withdrawn from the event.
Vanilla Ice and Milli Vanilli are still set to perform on 26 June, with Flo Rida scheduled for 2 July. Trump indicated he is considering replacing the event with a "Make America Great Again rally."
Freedom 250, the organisation behind the Great American State Fair concert series, was launched last year by the Trump administration, with the president appointing its CEO. However, the group asserts that the event is non-partisan.
The White House is collaborating with Freedom 250 on the fair, which is part of a "series of once-in-a-generation events for America's momentous anniversary."
Freedom 250 announced on Saturday that President Trump will headline the fair's opening ceremony.
"As the visionary behind the Great American State Fair, we are excited to announce that President Trump will personally kick off this historic celebration on Wednesday, June 24 in an opening ceremony celebrating America's 250th birthday,"said spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez.
Background on America250 and Freedom 250
Congress established an organisation a decade ago, America250, to arrange and oversee events commemorating the country's 250th birthday. This group is led by appointees from both major political parties and organises its own events, including July 4th celebrations in New York City, Philadelphia, and California, as well as block parties across the United States.
Last year, Trump signed an executive order creating his own task force "to provide a grand celebration worthy of the momentous occasion of the 250th anniversary of American Independence." This task force established Freedom 250 to "achieve that ambitious mission," according to the White House website.
Freedom 250 revealed the artists on Wednesday for the 16-day series of events planned on the National Mall in Washington DC from 25 June to 10 July.
Artist Withdrawals and Reactions
Country singer Martina McBride was scheduled to perform on the first night, while Bret Michaels, frontman of Poison, was slated for 3 July, the eve of Independence Day. Both have cancelled their appearances.
Young MC, best known for his 1989 hit "Bust a Move," stated on social media that artists were not informed about any "political involvement with the event" and expressed his hope to perform in Washington DC in the future at an event that is "not so politically charged."
McBride commented on X (formerly Twitter) that she was "presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading."
In contrast, Vanilla Ice, whose real name is Robert Matthew Van Winkle, posted on Instagram:
"This is not a political platform. This is celebrating America's birthday,"
One half of Milli Vanilli's public-facing duo, Fab Morvan, confirmed he will perform as scheduled. However, the actual voices behind Milli Vanilli's music issued a statement on X indicating they will not be performing.
Trump's Response and Plans for a Rally
Trump mentioned on Truth Social that he had heard artists were experiencing "the yips"—a term from golf describing involuntary spasms or freezes affecting a swing. He also said he was considering appearing himself at the same time and location.
"I am ordering my Representatives to look at the feasibility of doing an AMERICA IS BACK Rally on Wednesday, Washington, DC, same time, same location. Only Great Patriots invited,"he wrote, referring to himself as the "Number One Attraction anywhere in the World" and claiming he "gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime."
He later reiterated his intention to replace the planned fair entirely with a rally.
"We should have a giant MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY, for 250, instead of having overpriced singers, who nobody wants to hear, whose music is boring, and yet who do nothing but complain,"he stated.
Other Events and Commemorations
The White House is supporting several events organised by Freedom 250 to mark the anniversary of US independence. These include a UFC fight on the South Lawn, the Great American State Fair in June and July, and a Grand Prix race in Washington DC in August.
Additionally, the US will release a limited number of commemorative passports featuring a portrait of Trump.
