Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum attempted to characterize an upcoming festival celebrating the U.S. 250th birthday as a completely apolitical event, just one day after President Donald Trump publicly criticized musical acts that withdrew from the lineup.
During a Sunday morning appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," Burgum, the former governor of North Dakota, declined to comment on the personal politics of performers after nearly half of the scheduled headliners pulled out of the Great American State Fair, a 16-day celebration set to take over the National Mall in late June.
"Some musicians want to play music for everybody, and some musicians seem to have segmented their audiences the same way... you know, politicians have," Burgum told anchor Dana Bash. He added that he would encourage Americans of all backgrounds to celebrate the semiquincentennial in their own communities.
Four out of nine main musical acts have dropped out since the lineup for the festival, organized by the group Freedom 250, was announced on Wednesday. Country artist Martina McBride, funk and soul legends The Commodores, retro rapper Young MC, and Poison frontman Bret Michaels have all withdrawn, claiming they were misled when they were pitched a nonpartisan celebration.
As of now, rapper Flo Rida, 1990s dance floor fixtures C+C Music Factory, and disgraced Grammy-winners Milli Vanilli remain committed to performing.
Trump's Reaction and Burgum's Response
When Bash pressed Burgum about Trump calling the event a "Make America Great Again rally" and threatening to cancel it, Burgum said he had not been informed of those plans but emphasized it was important for Trump to mark the 250th anniversary in whatever form it took.
Burgum pivoted to another of Trump's priorities ahead of the celebration: the renovation of Washington, D.C.'s top monuments. Claiming the administration inherited a capital in "decay," Burgum said, "Americans shouldn't be conditioned to live in squalor."
Early Saturday evening, Trump reacted to the artist exits with his typical bluster, taking to Truth Social to propose his own "AMERICA IS BACK Rally" to replace the previously planned festival. Calling himself the "Number One Attraction anywhere in the World," he wrote, "I only want to be surrounded by Happy People, Smart People, Successful People, and People that know how to WIN." He added, "It will be a Wild and Beautiful Celebration of America!"
Vanilla Ice's Endorsement
One-hit-wonder Vanilla Ice is the only artist to give the Great American State Fair a ringing endorsement. In an Instagram video posted Thursday, the "Ice Ice Baby" rapper promised the festival would be just "some fun, dancing and great memories." During a Friday interview with TMZ, he said he didn't want to get "dragged into" the political discourse. "I don't take anything too serious," he explained, adding he would accept an invitation from President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin, or even to "play in Iran" if fans wanted him to.
