The Freedom 250 concerts on the National Mall will be replaced by “A Rally to end all Rallies,” President Trump announced.
The canceled concerts were meant to coincide with the Great American State Fair from June 25 to July 10, but most of the scheduled performers, including Bret Michaels, the Commodores and Martina McBride, dropped out.
Mr. Trump said on Truth Social that “we don’t want singers with no talent, but big fees to put you to sleep, we’ve told them all to stay home.”
The rally, now scheduled for 7 p.m. on June 24, will include musical performances from “God Bless the U.S.A.” singer Lee Greenwood, American tenor Christopher Macchio, and the U.S. Marine Band, the Joint Armed Forces Chorus, the U.S. Army Chorus and the U.S. Army Band, known as “Pershing’s Own.”
The rally will also feature remarks from the president, who referred to himself on Truth Social as “a fine and highly dignified gentleman known as, President DONALD J. TRUMP!”
Several of the artists who dropped out of the Great American State Fair blamed politics.
Mr. Michaels said that “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.”
Ms. McBride said that while she thought the event was going to be nonpartisan, that “turned out to be misleading.”
The Commodores, explaining their decision to back out, said that “our music has always been our voice and we choose not to publicly affiliate with any single political party. We support the betterment of all Americans.”
Freedom 250, the group behind the Great American State Fair and other events for the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, says it is nonpartisan.
Freedom 250 spokesperson Rachel Reisner told NBC News that the nonprofit is “dedicated to uniting Americans around the nation’s 250th anniversary” and “is focused on our signature celebrations and events that honor our history and engage all Americans.”
