U.S. President Donald Trump has called for the cancellation of a festival marking America’s 250th anniversary after several artists withdrew from the event over what they described as political associations with the White House.
“Cancel it,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, describing the performers involved as “overpriced” and “boring” following a wave of withdrawals from the Freedom 250 festival.
The event, organised by the White House-backed Freedom 250 group, was launched as part of plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence.
Although organisers describe it as non-partisan, some artists said they were not fully aware of its political links when they agreed to participate.
By Sunday, only a few acts remained from the original nine announced earlier in the week.
Those who withdrew include country singer Martina McBride, The Commodores, rapper Young MC, and Poison frontman Bret Michaels.
Artists still scheduled to perform include Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli, and Flo Rida.
Trump later suggested replacing the music festival with a political rally.
“I am ordering my Representatives to look at the feasibility of doing an AMERICA IS BACK Rally on Wednesday, Washington, DC, same time, same location. Only Great Patriots invited,” he wrote.
He also described himself as the “Number One Attraction anywhere in the World,” adding that he attracts “much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime.”
In further remarks, Trump criticised the departing performers and pushed for a different kind of event.
“We should have a giant MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY, for 250, instead of having overpriced singers, who nobody wants to hear, whose music is boring, and yet who do nothing but complain,” he said.
Freedom 250 had earlier announced that Trump would headline the opening ceremony of the celebrations scheduled for June 24.
“As the visionary behind the Great American State Fair, we are excited to announce that President Trump will personally kick off this historic celebration on Wednesday, June 24 in an opening ceremony celebrating America’s 250th birthday,” spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez said.
The Great American State Fair is expected to run for 16 days at the National Mall in Washington, DC, from June 25 to July 10.
Some artists have since defended their decisions. Young MC, known for Bust a Move, said performers were not clearly informed about the political nature of the event and expressed hope of returning for future non-political shows.
Martina McBride also said she had been led to believe the event was non-partisan but later found the description misleading.
Vanilla Ice defended his participation, insisting the event was meant to celebrate the country rather than serve as a political platform.
Meanwhile, Fab Morvan confirmed he still intends to perform, although the vocalists behind the original Milli Vanilli recordings have opted out.
The White House is also supporting other Freedom 250-related events, including a UFC fight on the South Lawn, the Great American State Fair, and a proposed Grand Prix race in Washington later in the year.
Plans also include issuing a limited edition U.S. passport featuring Trump’s portrait as part of the anniversary celebrations.
