US President Donald Trump has suggested cancelling a major concert planned as part of America’s 250th independence anniversary celebrations after several performers withdrew from the event over its links to the White House.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump reacted to the growing list of cancellations by bluntly stating, “Cancel it,” while describing some of the scheduled entertainers as “overpriced” and “boring.”
The concert series is part of the Great American State Fair, a 16-day event organised by Freedom 250 and scheduled to take place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Several artists originally announced for the event, including Martina McBride, The Commodores, Young MC and Bret Michaels, have since pulled out.
Despite the withdrawals, performers such as Vanilla Ice, Flo Rida and Fab Morvan are still expected to appear.
Trump said he is now considering replacing the concert with a political gathering.
“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.
The president also described himself as the event’s biggest attraction, claiming he “gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime.”
In a follow-up post, Trump pushed the idea further, proposing that the fair be replaced entirely with a campaign-style 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 was established following an executive order signed by Trump to coordinate celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence. Although the organisation says it is non-partisan, critics have questioned its close association with the administration.
The group announced over the weekend that Trump will personally open the fair.
“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,” spokesperson Danielle Alvarez said.
Some of the artists who withdrew said they were initially told the event would not have a political affiliation.
Young MC stated that performers had not been informed about any “political involvement with the event” and said he hoped to perform in Washington in the future at an event that was “not so politically charged.”
McBride also explained her decision, saying she had been “presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading”.
Not everyone shares that view. Vanilla Ice defended his participation, writing on social media: “This is not a political platform. This is celebrating America’s birthday.”
The Great American State Fair remains one of several events planned to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary, alongside a UFC event at the White House and a Grand Prix race scheduled for Washington later in the year.
