Chicago – May 31, 2026
US President Donald Trump has called for the cancellation of a planned series of concerts marking America’s 250th anniversary after a wave of high‑profile artists pulled out of the “Freedom 250” festival.
The events, organized by Trump‑affiliated group Freedom 250 and scheduled for June 25–July 10 on the National Mall as part of the Great American State Fair, lost more than half of their announced lineup within days of the announcement.
Acts including Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, Morris Day, Young MC, Milli Vanilli and the Commodores said they withdrew over concerns about the show’s political ties or stated they had been misled about the event’s nature.
Trump reacted on social media, bluntly writing “Cancel it” and dismissing the remaining performers as “overpriced” and “boring,” while suggesting he replace the concerts with a large “Make America Great Again” rally.
The White House and Freedom 250 have not yet formally scrapped the concert series, but the back‑and‑forth has intensified scrutiny of how the administration is shaping the nation’s semiquincentennial celebrations.
