{"id":2438462,"date":"2026-05-30T18:40:29","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T18:40:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2438462"},"modified":"2026-05-30T18:40:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T18:40:29","slug":"artists-are-bailing-on-a-trump-backed-concert-for-americas-250th-he-says-he-might-star-in-his-own","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/artists-are-bailing-on-a-trump-backed-concert-for-americas-250th-he-says-he-might-star-in-his-own\/","title":{"rendered":"Artists are bailing on a Trump-backed concert for America\u2019s 250th. He says he might star in his own"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-editable=\"content\" itemprop=\"articleBody\" data-reorderable=\"content\">\n<div data-editable=\"aiSummary\" class=\"article__ai-summary-wrapper\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/ai-article-summary\/instances\/cmpralj9n00003b6r5jep8ktn@published\" class=\"ai-article-summary hidden  \" data-article-gutter=\"true\" data-selector-brand=\"accent-ai\">\n    <button class=\"ai-article-summary__toggle\"><br \/>\n        <strong class=\"ai-article-summary__title\"><br \/>\n            <span class=\"ai-article-summary__stars-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\">\n    <path d=\"M16.7322 12.6297L14.7237 12.0545C13.8192 11.7989 12.9952 11.315 12.3307 10.6491C11.6662 9.98311 11.1834 9.15741 10.9284 8.25095L10.3544 6.23807C10.3255 6.16765 10.2764 6.10741 10.2133 6.06502C10.1502 6.02263 10.076 6 10 6C9.92403 6 9.84978 6.02263 9.78667 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d=\"M19.8852 5.84129L19.0244 5.59477C18.6368 5.48524 18.2837 5.27786 17.9989 4.99245C17.7141 4.70705 17.5072 4.35317 17.3979 3.96469L17.1519 3.10203C17.1395 3.07185 17.1185 3.04603 17.0914 3.02787C17.0644 3.0097 17.0326 3 17 3C16.9674 3 16.9356 3.0097 16.9086 3.02787C16.8815 3.04603 16.8605 3.07185 16.8481 3.10203L16.6021 3.96469C16.4928 4.35317 16.2859 4.70705 16.0011 4.99245C15.7163 5.27786 15.3632 5.48524 14.9756 5.59477L14.1148 5.84129C14.0817 5.85069 14.0526 5.87064 14.0319 5.89811C14.0112 5.92558 14 5.95907 14 5.9935C14 6.02794 14.0112 6.06143 14.0319 6.0889C14.0526 6.11637 14.0817 6.13632 14.1148 6.14572L14.9756 6.39224C15.3632 6.50176 15.7163 6.70915 16.0011 6.99455C16.2859 7.27996 16.4928 7.63383 16.6021 8.02231L16.8481 8.88498C16.8575 8.9181 16.8774 8.94725 16.9048 8.96801C16.9322 8.98877 16.9656 9 17 9C17.0344 9 17.0678 8.98877 17.0952 8.96801C17.1226 8.94725 17.1425 8.9181 17.1519 8.88498L17.3979 8.02231C17.5072 7.63383 17.7141 7.27996 17.9989 6.99455C18.2837 6.70915 18.6368 6.50176 19.0244 6.39224L19.8852 6.14572C19.9183 6.13632 19.9474 6.11637 19.9681 6.0889C19.9888 6.06143 20 6.02794 20 5.9935C20 5.95907 19.9888 5.92558 19.9681 5.89811C19.9474 5.87064 19.9183 5.85069 19.8852 5.84129Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg><br \/>\n<\/span><br \/>\n            <span>Summary<\/span><br \/>\n        <\/strong><br \/>\n            <span class=\"ai-article-summary__toggle-caret-up\" aria-label=\"Toggle Article Summary\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"icon-ui-caret-up\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M12.478 6.21a.637.637 0 00-.946 0L2.206 16.229c-.225.243-.28.633-.093.91.237.355.7.385.975.089l8.917-9.579 8.878 9.537c.225.243.589.301.847.101a.721.721 0 00.082-1.048L12.478 6.211z\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n<\/span><br \/>\n            <span class=\"ai-article-summary__toggle-caret-down\" aria-label=\"Toggle Article Summary\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"icon-ui-caret-down\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M12.478 17.218a.637.637 0 01-.946 0L2.206 7.2c-.225-.242-.28-.632-.093-.91a.613.613 0 01.975-.088l8.917 9.579 8.878-9.538c.225-.242.589-.3.847-.1.33.255.357.752.082 1.048l-9.334 10.027z\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"ai-article-summary__collapsible\">\n<ul class=\"ai-article-summary__items\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<li class=\"ai-article-summary__item\">A concert series celebrating America&#8217;s 250th anniversary is losing most of its scheduled performers.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ai-article-summary__item\">Artists including Martina McBride and Young MC say they were misled about the event&#8217;s political affiliations.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ai-article-summary__item\">Vanilla Ice and a few others remain committed to performing at the National Mall event.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n            <span class=\"ai-article-summary__disclaimer-text\">AI-generated summary was reviewed by a celebrity.land editor.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpr8yyxh000c3b6r5vqosztf@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            What if there was a concert celebrating America\u2019s 250th anniversary and none of the artists showed up?\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpr8z18q000e3b6rziltuu1z@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            That\u2019s one of the possibilities that Freedom 250, a public-private partnership created by the Trump administration, is facing after the majority of the artists it booked to perform at a marquee concert series dropped out this week. The Commodores, Martina McBride, Morris Day &amp; the Time, Poison frontman Bret Michaels, and rapper Young MC have all publicly distanced themselves from the string of performances scheduled to take place on the National Mall in Washington, DC, from June 25 through July 10 as part of the Great American State Fair.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpr8z18r000f3b6ry4wzpu6o@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cI was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading,\u201d McBride, the country star, wrote in <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DY5s4J5qPRj\/\" target=\"_blank\">an Instagram post<\/a> on Thursday announcing her decision not to perform.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpr8z18r000g3b6rji9nsbln@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Freedom 250 is a White House organization launched by executive order to create Trump-driven alternatives to the events planned by the nonpartisan United States Semiquincentennial Commission, America250. The announced concert lineup was heavily tilted towards legacy acts like Morris Day and Vanilla Ice, and many of them share the same booking agent in Jeff Epstein of Universal Attractions. Epstein did not respond to repeat requests for comment.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpsktiv50000356rjyr4pn3j@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            President Donald Trump on Saturday floated the idea of headlining an \u201cAmerica Is Back\u201d rally in Washington after the artists backed out.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpsktm090002356rlcl9lkqq@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Trump mocked performers who have withdrawn from the event, saying they were getting \u201cthe yips\u201d and suggesting he could replace them as the featured attraction in a post on Truth Social.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpsktm090003356rq9yvx9wm@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Trump, in the same post, directed his representatives to explore holding a rally at the same time and location as the planned concert, calling it a potential \u201cWild and Beautiful Celebration of America.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpsktm090004356rya3bl3pv@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            The president used the post to argue that the United States has rebounded under his leadership, signaling he may personally step in as the headline act if the concert lineup continues to unravel.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpr8z18r000h3b6rjuhzza5q@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            All of the artists who have pulled out suggested they were misled about the event\u2019s political associations. \u201cThe artists were never told about any political involvement with the event,\u201d Young MC <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DY3jC6gDZK8\/?hl=en&amp;img_index=1\" target=\"_blank\">said in a statement on Instagram<\/a>. The rapper <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-features\/young-mc-drops-out-the-great-american-state-fair-1235569609\/\" target=\"_blank\">told Rolling Stone<\/a> that the concert was a \u201cbait-and-switch.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpr8z18r000i3b6rkox40m9n@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Bret Michaels, who won \u201cThe Celebrity Apprentice\u201d in 2010 and who has been complimentary of Trump in the past, cited a similar issue. \u201cUnfortunately, what was presented to us as a celebration of our country has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of,\u201d he wrote in a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DY6M0UYlRXh\/?img_index=1\" target=\"_blank\">statement on Instagram on Friday<\/a>. He also said that he and his crew have received threats due to his potential participation in the event.\n    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/video-resource\/instances\/cmprdyw5c00033b6rlchu9lad@published\" data-component-name=\"video-resource\" data-editable=\"settings\" class=\"video-resource-elevate vertical-video\" data-fixed-ratio=\"9x16\" data-canonical-url-path=\"\/2026\/05\/29\/politics\/video\/the-great-america-state-fair-artists-drop-out-digvid-vrtc\" data-auth-type=\"\" data-card-url=\"\" data-parent-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/video-resource\/instances\/cmpr5n7iq0000356rg5yf4v61@published\" data-video-id=\"me06420029c36f355b46b44f97541d7dab057a2b97\" data-media-id=\"me06420029c36f355b46b44f97541d7dab057a2b97\" data-bolt-id=\"e9635016-1e30-5fe2-b3f4-7c9b9c2ce405\" data-live=\"\" data-analytics-aggregate-events=\"true\" data-custom-experience=\"\" data-asset-type=\"hlsTs\" data-content-type=\"uploaded-clip\" data-medium-env=\"\" data-autostart=\"disabled\" data-show-ads=\"true\" data-source=\"CNN\" data-featured-video=\"true\" data-headline=\"Artists are pulling out of Trump-backed 250th concert\" data-has-video-player=\"true\" data-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Young MC, Martina McBride and the Commodores are among the performers who said no to &quot;the Great American State Fair,&quot; events that celebrate the 250th birthday of the US by Trump-backed group Freedom 250. CNN's Jake Tapper explains why these artists are quitting the show.&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-duration=\"02:36\" data-source-html=\"&lt;span class=&quot;video-resource__source&quot;&gt; \u2022 Source:&#10;                &#10;                    &lt;a target=&quot;_self&quot; href=&quot;https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/&quot; class=&quot;video-resource__source-url&quot;&gt;CNN&lt;\/a&gt;&#10;        &lt;\/span&gt;\" data-fave-thumbnails=\"{&quot;big&quot;: { &quot;uri&quot;: &quot;https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/119985-artists-trump250thconcert-clean.jpg?c=16x9&quot; }, &quot;small&quot;: { &quot;uri&quot;: &quot;https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/119985-artists-trump250thconcert-clean.jpg?c=16x9&quot; }  }\" data-vr-video=\"false\" data-show-html=\"&lt;!-- unable to render partial show without a supplied context --&gt;\" data-byline-html=\"&lt;div&#10;  data-uri=&quot;cms.cnn.com\/_components\/byline\/instances\/cmpr5n7qo0003356r7tsnt03u@published&quot;&#10;  data-component-name=&quot;byline&quot;&#10;  class=&quot;vossi-byline_elevate byline-elevate&quot;&#10;  data-editable=&quot;settings&quot;&#10;&gt;&#10;&lt;\/div&gt;\" data-timestamp-html=\"&lt;div&#10;  class=&quot;timestamp-elevate vossi-timestamp_elevate&quot;&#10;  data-uri=&quot;cms.cnn.com\/_components\/timestamp\/instances\/cmpr5n7st0004356r5f7mz0a9@published&quot;&#10;  data-editable=&quot;settings&quot;&#10;&gt;&#10;    &lt;div class=&quot;timestamp__container vossi-timestamp_elevate__container&quot;&gt;&#10;              &lt;noscript&gt;&#10;                &lt;div&gt;&#10;                  &lt;time datetime=&quot;2026-05-30T17:02:25.317Z&quot;&gt;Updated May 30, 2026, 1:02 PM ET&lt;\/time&gt;&#10;                  &lt;time datetime=&quot;2026-05-29T19:19:42.917Z&quot;&gt;Published May 29, 2026, 3:19 PM ET&lt;\/time&gt;&#10;                &lt;\/div&gt;&#10;              &lt;\/noscript&gt;&#10;              &lt;span class=&quot;timestamp__time-since vossi-timestamp_elevate__time-since&quot; data-first-publish=&quot;2026-05-29T19:19:42.917Z&quot; data-last-publish=&quot;2026-05-30T17:02:25.317Z&quot;&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&#10;          &lt;\/div&gt;&#10;          &lt;div class=&quot;timestamp__details vossi-timestamp_elevate__details&quot;&gt;&#10;            &lt;div class=&quot;updated&quot;&gt;Updated &lt;time datetime=&quot;2026-05-30T17:02:25.317Z&quot;&gt;May 30, 2026, 1:02 PM ET&lt;\/time&gt;&lt;\/div&gt;&#10;            &lt;div class=&quot;timestamp__published vossi-timestamp_elevate__published&quot;&gt;PUBLISHED &lt;time datetime=&quot;2026-05-29T19:19:42.917Z&quot;&gt;May 29, 2026, 3:19 PM ET&lt;\/time&gt;&lt;\/div&gt;&#10;          &lt;\/div&gt;&#10;&lt;\/div&gt;\" data-check-event-based-preview=\"\" data-is-vertical-video-embed=\"false\" data-network-id=\"\" data-publish-date=\"2026-05-29T17:04:59.299Z\" data-video-section=\"politics\" data-canonical-url=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/05\/29\/politics\/video\/the-great-america-state-fair-artists-drop-out-digvid-vrtc\" data-branding-key=\"\" data-video-slug=\"the-great-america-state-fair-artists-drop-out-digvid-vrtc\" data-first-publish-slug=\"the-great-america-state-fair-artists-drop-out-digvid-vrtc\" data-video-tags=\"vertical\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" video-resource--media-extra-large=\"\" data-display-video-cover=\"true\" data-vertical-orientation=\"true\" data-details=\"\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/video-player\/instances\/cmpr5n7wm0007356rn8652q3b@published\" data-unselectable=\"true\" data-title=\"\" data-card-url=\"\" data-show-ads=\"true\" data-is-vertical-video-embed=\"false\" data-custom-experience=\"\" data-component-name=\"video-player\" data-autostart=\"disabled\" data-is-vertical-video=\"\" data-fixed-ratio=\"9x16\" data-headline=\"Artists are pulling out of Trump-backed 250th concert\" data-auth-type=\"\" data-video-resource-parent-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/video-resource\/instances\/cmpr5n7iq0000356rg5yf4v61@published\" data-live=\"\" data-content-type=\"uploaded-clip\" data-video-resource-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/video-resource\/instances\/cmprdyw5c00033b6rlchu9lad@published\" data-poster-image-override=\"{&quot;big&quot;: { &quot;uri&quot;: &quot;https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/119985-artists-trump250thconcert-clean.jpg?c=16x9&quot; }, &quot;small&quot;: { &quot;uri&quot;: &quot;https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/119985-artists-trump250thconcert-clean.jpg?c=16x9&quot; }  }\" data-video-id=\"me06420029c36f355b46b44f97541d7dab057a2b97\" data-media-id=\"me06420029c36f355b46b44f97541d7dab057a2b97\" data-bolt-id=\"e9635016-1e30-5fe2-b3f4-7c9b9c2ce405\" data-duration=\"02:36\" data-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Young MC, Martina McBride and the Commodores are among the performers who said no to &quot;the Great American State Fair,&quot; events that celebrate the 250th birthday of the US by Trump-backed group Freedom 250. CNN's Jake Tapper explains why these artists are quitting the show.&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-check-event-based-preview=\"\" data-network-id=\"\" data-publish-date=\"2026-05-29T17:04:59.299Z\" data-video-section=\"politics\" data-canonical-url=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/05\/29\/politics\/video\/the-great-america-state-fair-artists-drop-out-digvid-vrtc\" data-branding-key=\"\" data-video-slug=\"the-great-america-state-fair-artists-drop-out-digvid-vrtc\" data-first-publish-slug=\"the-great-america-state-fair-artists-drop-out-digvid-vrtc\" data-video-tags=\"vertical\" data-media-metadata=\"{&quot;adKeyValuePairs&quot;:{&quot;spec&quot;:&quot;default&quot;},&quot;boltId&quot;:&quot;e9635016-1e30-5fe2-b3f4-7c9b9c2ce405&quot;,&quot;branding&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;cepFedSegs&quot;:&quot;wbd:231,wbd:239,wbd:151X,wbd:C36Q,wbd:15HT,wbd:16BB,wbd:2PCG,wbd:2JP6,wbd:2JP5,wbd:2PCF,wbd:2PC9,wbd:2PCB,wbd:147G,wbd:CFW,wbd:BPP,wbd:H18,wbd:70M,wbd:5NC,wbd:BLX,wbd:KKV,wbd:BLL,wbd:BLH,wbd:CFR1Z,wbd:D8B,wbd:D99&quot;,&quot;cepParams&quot;:&quot;231=cep_tags&amp;239=cep_tags&amp;151X=cep_iabt&amp;C36Q=cep_iabt&amp;15HT=cep_iabt&amp;16BB=cep_sent&amp;2PCG=cep_tags&amp;2JP6=cep_tags&amp;2JP5=cep_tags&amp;2PCF=cep_tags&amp;2PC9=cep_tags&amp;2PCB=cep_tags&amp;147G=cep_tags&amp;CFW=cep_tags&amp;BPP=cep_tags&amp;H18=cep_tags&amp;70M=cep_tags&amp;5NC=cep_tags&amp;BLX=cep_tags&amp;KKV=cep_tags&amp;BLL=cep_tags&amp;BLH=cep_tags&amp;CFR1Z=cep_tags&amp;D8B=cep_tags&amp;D99=cep_tags&quot;,&quot;cepTopics&quot;:{&quot;231&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;239&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;151X&quot;:&quot;cep_iabt&quot;,&quot;C36Q&quot;:&quot;cep_iabt&quot;,&quot;15HT&quot;:&quot;cep_iabt&quot;,&quot;16BB&quot;:&quot;cep_sent&quot;,&quot;2PCG&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;2JP6&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;2JP5&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;2PCF&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;2PC9&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;2PCB&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;147G&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;CFW&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;BPP&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;H18&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;70M&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;5NC&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;BLX&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;KKV&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;BLL&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;BLH&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;CFR1Z&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;D8B&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;,&quot;D99&quot;:&quot;cep_tags&quot;},&quot;description&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Young MC, Martina McBride and the Commodores are among the performers who said no to \\&quot;the Great American State Fair,\\&quot; events that celebrate the 250th birthday of the US by Trump-backed group Freedom 250. CNN's Jake Tapper explains why these artists are quitting the show.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;firstPublishSlug&quot;:&quot;the-great-america-state-fair-artists-drop-out-digvid-vrtc&quot;,&quot;headline&quot;:&quot;Artists are pulling out of Trump-backed 250th concert&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;me06420029c36f355b46b44f97541d7dab057a2b97&quot;,&quot;isAdSensitive&quot;:false,&quot;mediumId&quot;:&quot;me06420029c36f355b46b44f97541d7dab057a2b97&quot;,&quot;sectionName&quot;:&quot;politics&quot;,&quot;source&quot;:&quot;CNN&quot;,&quot;stellarId&quot;:&quot;L19jb21wb25lbnRzL3ZpZGVvLXJlc291cmNlL2luc3RhbmNlcy9jbXByNW43aXEwMDAwMzU2cmc1eWY0djYx&quot;,&quot;trt&quot;:&quot;156.309&quot;,&quot;videoTags&quot;:[],&quot;videoUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/05\/29\/politics\/video\/the-great-america-state-fair-artists-drop-out-digvid-vrtc&quot;}\" class=\"video-player\">\n<div id=\"player-cms.cnn.com\/_components\/video-player\/instances\/cmpr5n7wm0007356rn8652q3b@published\" class=\"video-player__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"video-player__image\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cmpr5n7mh0001356rhscropg8@published\" class=\"image-elevate vossi-image_elevate  portrait image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"119985_Artists_Trump250thConcert clean.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image--eq-extra-small=\"\" data-original-ratio=\"1.7777777777777777\" data-original-height=\"1920\" data-original-width=\"1080\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/119985-artists-trump250thconcert-clean.jpg?c=original\" data-unselectable=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image--eq-extra-small=\"\">\n       <picture class=\"image__picture\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"679\" media=\"(max-width: 479px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/119985-artists-trump250thconcert-clean.jpg?c=16x9&amp;q=w_679,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"967\" media=\"(min-width: 480px) and (max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/119985-artists-trump250thconcert-clean.jpg?c=16x9&amp;q=w_967,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"860\" media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/119985-artists-trump250thconcert-clean.jpg?c=16x9&amp;q=w_860,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"860\" media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/119985-artists-trump250thconcert-clean.jpg?c=16x9&amp;q=w_860,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"860\" media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/119985-artists-trump250thconcert-clean.jpg?c=16x9&amp;q=w_860,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"video-resource__details\">\n<p>Artists are pulling out of Trump-backed 250th concert\n                <\/p>\n<div data-editable=\"description\" class=\"video-resource__description inline-placeholder\">\n<p>Young MC, Martina McBride and the Commodores are among the performers who said no to &#8220;the Great American State Fair,&#8221; events that celebrate the 250th birthday of the US by Trump-backed group Freedom 250. celebrity.land&#8217;s Jake Tapper explains why these artists are quitting the show.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"video-resource__cover\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cmpr5n7mh0001356rhscropg8@published\" class=\"image-elevate vossi-image_elevate  portrait image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"119985_Artists_Trump250thConcert clean.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image--eq-extra-small=\"\" data-original-ratio=\"1.7777777777777777\" data-original-height=\"1920\" data-original-width=\"1080\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/119985-artists-trump250thconcert-clean.jpg?c=original\" data-unselectable=\"true\">\n      <img decoding=\"async\" height=\"undefined\" width=\"526\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/119985-artists-trump250thconcert-clean.jpg?c=9x16&amp;q=ar_9:16,c_auto,g_auto,w_526\" alt=\"\" onerror=\"imageLoadError(this)\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"video-resource__overlay\">\n<div class=\"video-resource__controls\">\n<div class=\"video-resource__info\">\n<div class=\"video-resource__chyron-wrapper invisible\">\n<p>Artists are pulling out of Trump-backed 250th concert<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        2:36<br \/>\n         <span class=\"video-resource__source\"><br \/>\n        <\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpr8z18r000j3b6r6pukh9dx@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Not everyone has dropped out though. The \u201cIce Ice Baby\u201d rapper Vanilla Ice, a vocal Trump supporter who has performed at Mar-a-Lago several times, said \u201cI\u2019m super honored to do this concert\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@vanillaiceme\/video\/7645020363167911182?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\">in a TikTok video<\/a>. \u201cWe don\u2019t take anything too serious, man.\u201d The rapper Flo Rida, of the blockbuster late aughts dance hit \u201cLow,\u201d has not made a statement about whether he will still perform.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpr8z18r000k3b6rf5xvjnam@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            The infamous pop duo Milli Vanilli, also announced as part of the lineup, is in a somewhat strange position. The group won a best new artist Grammy in 1990 before it was revealed that frontmen Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus had not sung on the recordings credited to them. Jodie Rocco, one of the artists who provided the real vocals for the group and who performs with other singers from the sessions under the name \u201cThe Real Milli Vanilli,\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/obsessed\/shocked-milli-vanilli-pulls-out-of-cratering-trump-concert\/\" target=\"_blank\">told the AP<\/a> that she was \u201cshocked\u201d that Milli Vanilli was a listed act. Pilatus died in 1998. Morvan, however, is still <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/consequence.net\/2026\/05\/fab-morvan-milli-vanilli-great-american-state-fair\/\" target=\"_blank\">expected to perform<\/a> at the Great American State Fair \u2014 with his own voice.\n    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cmpr97cta000r3b6r54tybzuo@published\" class=\"image_large-elevate vossi-image_large-elevate  image_large__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-name=\"2024-03-24T063849Z_1776642781_MT1USATODAY22853709_RTRMADP_3_MLS-AUSTIN-FC-AT-ORLANDO-CITY.JPG\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image_large--eq-extra-small=\"\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6666666666666666\" data-original-height=\"2000\" data-original-width=\"3000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/2024-03-24t063849z-1776642781-mt1usatoday22853709-rtrmadp-3-mls-austin-fc-at-orlando-city.JPG?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image_large__container \" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image_large--eq-extra-small=\"\">\n       <picture class=\"image_large__picture\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"679\" media=\"(max-width: 479px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/2024-03-24t063849z-1776642781-mt1usatoday22853709-rtrmadp-3-mls-austin-fc-at-orlando-city.JPG?c=original&amp;q=w_679,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"967\" media=\"(min-width: 480px) and (max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/2024-03-24t063849z-1776642781-mt1usatoday22853709-rtrmadp-3-mls-austin-fc-at-orlando-city.JPG?c=original&amp;q=w_967,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"860\" media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/2024-03-24t063849z-1776642781-mt1usatoday22853709-rtrmadp-3-mls-austin-fc-at-orlando-city.JPG?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"860\" media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/2024-03-24t063849z-1776642781-mt1usatoday22853709-rtrmadp-3-mls-austin-fc-at-orlando-city.JPG?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"860\" media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/2024-03-24t063849z-1776642781-mt1usatoday22853709-rtrmadp-3-mls-austin-fc-at-orlando-city.JPG?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/2024-03-24t063849z-1776642781-mt1usatoday22853709-rtrmadp-3-mls-austin-fc-at-orlando-city.JPG?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill\" alt=\"Vanilla Ice, pictured in 2024, is supposed to perform in the concert series marking America's 250th birthday.\" class=\"image_large__dam-img image_large__dam-img--loading\" onload=\"this.classList.remove('image_large__dam-img--loading')\" onerror=\"imageLoadError(this)\" height=\"2000\" width=\"3000\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpr8z18r000l3b6rd24eh6te@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Freedom Williams, a rapper from the group C&amp;C Music Factory, said in an <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DY3WSXVRwYA\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram reel filmed from an odd angle <\/a>\u2014 one commenter said Williams looked like he was sitting on the toilet \u2014 that he \u201cdoesn\u2019t f**k with Trump.\u201d But he said he was more irritated by people who were attempting to \u201ccancel\u201d him over his performance, indicating that he\u2019s planning to go through with it. \u201cThe day I let you motherf**kers tell me what to do is the day I die.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpr8z18r000m3b6rk8m2s8ix@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Williams left the original <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/cc-music-factory-everybody-dance-now-copyright-battle-freedom-williams\/\" target=\"_blank\">group in the early 1990s but<\/a> acquired the trademark for C&amp;C Music Factory in 2005. Robert Clivill\u00e9s \u2014 one of the \u201cC\u2019s\u201d and a co-founder of the group \u2014 <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DY6eWJ6B1mW\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\">said Williams was \u201cdisguising himself as C&amp;C Music Factory\u201d<\/a> and that Clivill\u00e9s \u201cwas neither involved in, consulted regarding, nor have I endorsed the event.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpr8z18r000n3b6rxb0jvop5@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            celebrity.land reached out to representatives for all of the artists who were slated to perform. Many declined to comment or didn\u2019t respond. Young MC reiterated that Freedom 250 had touted itself as a nonpartisan organization when he originally agreed to perform, and that he didn\u2019t find out about its affiliation with the Trump administration until later.\n    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cmpr98eq0000w3b6rib2u6msv@published\" class=\"image_large-elevate vossi-image_large-elevate  image_large__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-name=\"GettyImages-2278656908.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image_large--eq-extra-small=\"\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6666666666666666\" data-original-height=\"2000\" data-original-width=\"3000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2278656908.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image_large__container \" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image_large--eq-extra-small=\"\">\n       <picture class=\"image_large__picture\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"679\" media=\"(max-width: 479px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2278656908.jpg?c=original&amp;q=w_679,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"967\" media=\"(min-width: 480px) and (max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2278656908.jpg?c=original&amp;q=w_967,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"860\" media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2278656908.jpg?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"860\" media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2278656908.jpg?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"860\" media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2278656908.jpg?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2278656908.jpg?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill\" alt=\"Construction continues for the Great American State Fair, which is scheduled to run from June 25 to July 10.\" class=\"image_large__dam-img image_large__dam-img--loading\" onload=\"this.classList.remove('image_large__dam-img--loading')\" onerror=\"imageLoadError(this)\" height=\"2000\" width=\"3000\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpr8z18r000o3b6r5kt7b50r@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Rachel Reisner, a spokesperson for Freedom 250, said the organization \u201cremains fully committed to delivering a once-in-a-lifetime experience that brings every corner of this country together on the National Mall.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpr8z18r000p3b6rwya3vpr8@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cWe respect the rights of any artist to make their own decisions, and our doors remain open to any performer who wants to be part of honoring 250 years of American freedom, culture, and unity,\u201d Reisner said in a statement. \u201cThere is far too much to celebrate about this great nation to let noise and division distract from the incredible moment ahead.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpr6belh001z28nudlyt5esq@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            <em>This story has been updated with additional information.<\/em>\n    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.celebrity.land.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summary A concert series celebrating America&#8217;s 250th anniversary is losing most of its scheduled performers. Artists including Martina McBride and Young MC say they were misled about the event&#8217;s political affiliations. Vanilla Ice and a few others remain committed to performing at the National Mall event. AI-generated summary was reviewed by a celebrity.land editor. What [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2438463,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[353132],"class_list":["post-2438462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-ctt"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Artists-are-bailing-on-a-Trump-backed-concert-for-Americas-250th.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2438462","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2438462"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2438462\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2438464,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2438462\/revisions\/2438464"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2438463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2438462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2438462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2438462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}