Several musical artists have dropped out of a President Donald Trump-linked celebration in Washington, D.C., organized to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, claiming they were misled about the event.
Freedom 250 organized “The Great American State Fair,” a massive series of events taking place on the National Mall from June 25 to July 10. The event, launched by Trump, features concerts, exhibits and tributes.
But artists including Bret Michaels, the Commodores, Morris Day, Young MC and Martina McBride have canceled their performances, saying they were misled about the event’s theme and want to avoid political controversy.
Bret Michaels performs before the second round of the NFL football draft, Friday, April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Other performers, including Flo Rida and Vanilla Ice, are still expected to appear.
Freedom 250, billed as a nonpartisan organization but launched last year by the president, is headed by businessman-philanthropist Keith Krach, a former State Department appointee during Trump’s first term.
Why are artists canceling their appearances?
Michaels and others have distanced themselves from the event, saying they are wary of being caught up in a political fight and that they were previously unaware of the theme of the shows.
In an Instagram post, Michaels said he had thought his show would be a chance to “honor our veterans, active military, first responders, teachers and hardworking Americans from all walks of life.” However, he said, the event had “evolved into something much more divisive” and referred to “threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable.”
McBride also issued a statement, saying she had been “presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event, but that turned out to be misleading.”
Young MC shared similar sentiments on Instagram, claiming the artists were never told about any political involvement with the event. “I hope to perform in D.C. in the near future at an event that is not so politically charged,” he said.
The Commodores also released a brief statement, saying they chose “not to publicly affiliate with any single political party.”
Who’s still on the Freedom 250 bill?
As of Friday morning, performers still expected to appear include Flo Rida, Vaniila Ice and Fab Morvan of Milli Vanilli.
Morvan, who was part of the Grammy-winning duo from the late 1980s-early 1990s, told the Associated Press that he was “here to entertain and unite people, not divide them.”
“Let’s celebrate life & music and take a trip down memory lane,” he continued.
A representative for Vanilla Ice told the AP that the “Ice Ice Baby” rapper was “proud to help celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary!”
They continued, “”Everyone is welcome to attend and celebrate USA’s Birthday and our Freedom!”
A spokesperson for Freedom 250, Julia Friedland, told The Hill the event “is inherently nonpolitical. It is a celebration of our country.”
She said she could not speak to the exact negotiations and conversations between event organizers and artists, but maintained that the event series has always been sold as a nonpartisan celebration.
“I don’t think there’s anything partisan about America being around for 250 years,” she said.
Trump has some prominent supporters in the entertainment industry, including Nicki Minaj, Kid Rock and Sylvester Stallone, but many more have spoken out against the Republican president.
Taylor Swift, Robert De Niro, Billie Eilish and Bruce Springsteen have all endorsed Democrats or condemned Trump, and others like Elton John, Sabrina Carpenter, Kenny Loggins and more have objected to their music being used at Trump rallies or in social media videos.
The Associated Press and The Hill contributed to this report.
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