U.S. President Donald Trump is set to headline the opening ceremony of the Freedom 250 event next month, following the withdrawal of several high-profile musical acts, according to the Washington Post. The concert series, part of the Great American State Fair organized by the Freedom 250 group, is scheduled to run from June 25 to July 10, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Performers Pull Out Citing Political Concerns
Country singer Martina McBride, funk and R&B group The Commodores, and rocker Bret Michaels were among nine acts that recently pulled out of the event. They stated they were unaware of Freedom 250's affiliation with Trump. In an Instagram post on Thursday, McBride said she was misled by the event's organizer, claiming she "was assured this was a nonpartisan event," but "things started changing and what we were told is, in fact, not what is happening." Michaels bowed out on Friday, calling the event "much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of." Young MC and Morris Day and The Time have also withdrawn, while Vanilla Ice defended the event in a social media video, insisting it "is not a political platform."
Trump Calls Himself the 'Number One Attraction'
On Saturday, Trump addressed the cancellations on social media, saying he understood "artists are getting 'the yips'" about performing and suggested headlining the event himself. In a post on Truth Social, Trump called himself "the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World, the man who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime." He ended the post by ordering his representatives to explore the feasibility of holding an "AMERICA IS BACK Rally" on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., at the same time and location, inviting "only Great Patriots" for a "Wild and Beautiful Celebration of America."
Following Trump's post, a spokesperson for Freedom 250 confirmed to the Post that the president would indeed kick off the event on Wednesday, June 24, in an "opening ceremony." Danielle Alvarez described the event as a "World's Fair celebrating the people, traditions, innovations, and spirit that make America the greatest nation on Earth," the Post reported.
