US President Donald Trump has called for the cancellation of the Freedom 250 festival after several performers withdrew from the event, citing concerns over its association with the White House.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump urged organisers to scrap the festival, describing the departing performers as “overpriced” and their music as “boring.” His remarks came after a growing number of artists pulled out of the event, which is part of activities marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
The Freedom 250 festival was launched last year by a White House-backed organisation to commemorate the historic milestone. Although the group has maintained that it is non-partisan, several artists claimed they were not fully aware of the extent of its political ties when they initially agreed to participate.
By Sunday, only a few performers remained on the lineup from the nine acts originally announced earlier in the week. Among those who withdrew were country music star Martina McBride, legendary funk group The Commodores, rapper Young MC, and Bret Michaels, lead singer of the rock band Poison.
Artists still expected to perform include Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli, and Flo Rida.
Trump suggested replacing the festival with a political event, proposing what he called an “AMERICA IS BACK Rally” in Washington, D.C., at the same venue and time.
“I am directing my representatives to examine the possibility of holding an AMERICA IS BACK Rally. Only great patriots would be invited,” he wrote.
The president also praised his own popularity, claiming he attracts larger crowds than legendary entertainer Elvis Presley did at the height of his career.
He later intensified his criticism of the artists who had withdrawn, arguing that a large political rally would be more appealing than performances by musicians he claimed were unpopular and overly critical.
Despite the controversy, Freedom 250 organisers confirmed that Trump is expected to headline the event’s opening ceremony on June 24. Danielle Alvarez, a spokesperson for the organisation, described the president as the driving force behind the celebration and said his participation would officially launch the nationwide anniversary festivities.
The Great American State Fair, a major part of the Freedom 250 programme, is scheduled to take place on Washington’s National Mall from June 25 to July 10.
Explaining his decision to withdraw, Young MC said on social media that performers had not been informed about the event’s political connections and expressed hope of participating in a future celebration that would be less politically charged.
Martina McBride also stated that she had originally believed the event would be non-partisan but later discovered that was not the case.
Vanilla Ice, however, defended his involvement, insisting that the festival is intended to celebrate America’s birthday rather than promote a political agenda.
Similarly, Fab Morvan of Milli Vanilli said he still plans to perform, although the vocalists behind the group’s original recordings have declined participation.
The White House continues to support several Freedom 250 initiatives, including a planned UFC event on the South Lawn, the Great American State Fair, and a Grand Prix race expected to take place in Washington later in the year. The administration also plans to issue a limited edition commemorative US passport featuring a portrait of President Trump as part of the anniversary celebrations.
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