Trump wants US Freedom 250 concerts canceled after artists' exit
What's the story
US President Donald Trump has called for the cancellation of a concert series celebrating the country's 250th birthday, called Freedom 250, following the withdrawal of several artists due to its association with the White House. In a post on Truth Social, he described the scheduled performers as "overpriced" and "boring." The Freedom 250 group, which is organizing the event, was established by Trump's administration last year and claims to be non-partisan.
Artist withdrawals
Only a few acts remain scheduled to perform
As of May 31, only a few musical acts are still scheduled to perform at the Freedom 250 event. Country singer Martina McBride, The Commodores, Young MC, and Bret Michaels have all dropped out. Vanilla Ice and Milli Vanilli are still scheduled to perform on June 26, while Flo Rida will be performing on July 2. Trump has now suggested replacing the event with a "Make America Great Again rally."
Event details
Freedom 250 is a group formed to celebrate America's birthday
Freedom 250 is a group that aims to celebrate America's 250th birthday through a series of events. The White House is working with Freedom 250 on the Great American State Fair concert series, which is part of this initiative. On May 30, Freedom 250 announced that Trump will be headlining the fair's opening ceremony on June 24.
Bipartisan effort
Meanwhile, America250 is a separate group
Ten years ago, Congress created a group called America250 to plan and execute events for the country's 250th birthday. This group is made up of appointees from both parties, Democrats and Republicans, and has its own events planned. These include July 4 celebrations in New York City, Philadelphia, California, and block parties across the US.
Taskforce establishment
Last year, Trump issued an executive order establishing Freedom 250
Last year, Trump signed an executive order to create a taskforce "to provide a grand celebration worthy of the momentous occasion of the 250th anniversary of American Independence." This taskforce then established Freedom 250 "to achieve that ambitious mission," according to the White House website. The organization announced last week that it will feature nine artists over a 16-day series of events on Washington DC's National Mall from June 25 to July 10.
Artist reactions
Artists have since spoken out about being misled
Following their withdrawal from the Freedom 250 event, some artists have spoken out about the political involvement they were not informed of. Young MC expressed his disappointment on social media, saying he looked forward to performing in DC at an event that was "not so politically charged." McBride also said she was "presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading."