United States President Donald Trump has heavily criticised several top musicians who withdrew from the upcoming Freedom 250 festival, a major event organised to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
The 16-day festival, planned to take place on the National Mall in Washington DC between June 25 and July 10, 2026, was launched by the Trump administration through a non-profit group.
However, multiple booked performers suddenly pulled out of the event, stating that they were misled into affiliating with a politically charged program.
Reacting to the mass withdrawals on his Truth Social platform, President Trump described the departing artists as “third rate” and claimed they simply got “the yips” (stage fright) about performing.
Trump further hinted that he might personally take over the venue to host a political event instead. “I am ordering my Representatives to look at the feasibility of doing an AMERICA IS BACK Rally on Wednesday, Washington, D.C., same time, same location. Only Great Patriots invited,” while calling himself the number one attraction in the world.
Artists who have officially cancelled their appearances include rappers Young MC and Morris Day, veteran music group The Commodores, Poison frontman Bret Michaels, and country music singer Martina McBride.
Explaining his decision, Young MC stated that the performers were never informed about any political involvement with the event. Similarly, The Commodores released a statement clarifying that they choose not to publicly affiliate with any single political party.
Bret Michaels also stated that what was presented as a unified celebration of the country had unfortunately evolved into something deeply divisive.
Despite the mass boycott, the organizers have not announced any lineup changes. A few artists, including rappers Flo Rida and Vanilla Ice, are still scheduled to perform. Vanilla Ice defended his stance on his Instagram page, stating: “This is not a political platform. This is celebrating America’s birthday”.
