In a recent announcement, President Trump disclosed that Lee Greenwood and the United States military bands will be headlining his Freedom 250 birthday celebration concert. This development comes after multiple artists withdrew from the event.
Trump shared that the celebration will not only feature his presence but also include several other speakers. Attendees can expect to enjoy what he described as the “Greatest Music ever played” later this month in the “magnificent” setting of Washington D.C.
Declaring the event on Truth Social, Trump enthusiastically promised, “We will be bringing you, LIVE, the Greatest Rally, EVER!” He emphasized the simplicity of the event, stating, “All we want is you, me, a few speakers, and the Greatest Music ever played, the same Music you have listened to for years!”
This announcement follows the initial cancellation of the concert due to a wave of artist withdrawals, prompted by backlash and threats. The lineup originally included Poison, Morris Day, Young MC, the Commodores, and Martina McBride. These performers pulled out after realizing the event was linked to the Trump Administration, contradicting their understanding that Freedom 250 was a nonpartisan affair.
He made the announcement after ‘canceling’ the concert when several artists dropped out of the concert due to backlash and threats.
Poison, Morris Day, Young MC, the Commodores and Martina McBride had nixed their appearances. The artists claimed they were led to believe Freedom 250 was nonpartisan, only to learn that it was tied to the Trump Administration.
But Trump said he didn’t need the big name ’90s performers to have a good time on his birthday.
‘It will be special at every level — A Rally to end all Rallies!’ he said.
‘We don’t want singers with no talent, but big fees to put you to sleep, we’ve told them all to stay home.’
Lee Greenwood will introduce Trump with God Bless the USA
‘Not since the legendary Luciano Pavarotti has there been such a voice!’ Trump said about Macchio
Trump said that country artist Lee Greenwood would introduce him at the event on June 24.
‘We will have the fabulous Lee Greenwood introducing me with what has turned out to be one of the Greatest Hits of All Time, GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.,’ he said.
MAGA opera singer Christopher Macchio will perform Nessun Dorma, Hallelujah, Ave Maria, God Bless America, and others.
‘Not since the legendary Luciano Pavarotti has there been such a voice!’ Trump said about Macchio.
He added that the ‘wonderful’ Army Band and US Marine Band would perform with the Joint Armed Forces Chorus.
Last month Freedom 250, the Trump-affiliated body organizing the event, announced that musicians including the Commodores and Vanilla Ice would perform at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall.
But it became mired in controversy just hours after the lineup was announced, with five of the nine acts dropping out over its ties to the president.
His Saturday outburst comes after several artists dropped out of the concert due to backlash and threats, including Poison front man, Bret Michaels
Vanilla Ice has defended Trump’s concert as the rapper confirmed he is still taking to the stage during the festivities next month
Trump has long said that he gets told he looks like Elvis. The Republican posted the picture above in 2024 to prove in his point, asking his millions of followers, ‘What do you think?’
Trump temporarily planned to nix the whole event and turn it into a rally that would feature himself as the new headliner.
In a long Truth Social post, he dubbed himself the ‘Number One Attraction anywhere in the World’ and compared himself to Elvis.
Trump said unlike The King, who needed a guitar to wow his fans, all the President needs is a microphone and a good speech to get ‘much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime,’ he wrote.
‘I am ordering my Representatives to look at the feasibility of doing an AMERICA IS BACK Rally,’ he wrote on Truth Social. ‘Same time, same location. Only Great Patriots invited – It will be a Wild and Beautiful Celebration of America!’
Music artists who had previously been tapped ignited chaos with furious public posts declaring they would not perform at the event – with some even claiming that they were misled and that Trump’s connection to the gig had been hidden from them.
Morris Day announced Wednesday on Instagram that ‘It’s a no for me,’ while Martina McBride, Young MC and William King of The Commodores also made clear that they would not be performing at Freedom 250, which will also feature a UFC fight on the White House’s South Lawn.
Young MC went on to join the chorus of artists distancing themselves from the event in a post on Facebook
Milli Vanilli was originally billed as a duo featuring Rob Pilatus, who died in 1998m and Fab Morvan, but they were later revealed to have only lip-synced to songs performed by studio vocalists, most of whom appear to comprise the Real Milli Vanilli group
However, others, including Vanilla Ice, clarified that they were still on for the show.
In an Instagram post last week, Morris Day shared a graphic stating, ‘Contrary to rumor, Morris Day & the Time will not be performing at the “Great American State Fair.”‘
The Commodores subsequently announced that they would not be performing at Freedom 250.
‘Our music has always been our voice and we choose not to publicly affiliate with any single political party,’ the funk act said on Instagram. ‘We support the betterment of all Americans.’
William King, a co-founding member and multi-instrumentalist for the group, confirmed in a phone call to Rolling Stone that they would not be performing at the concert.
Country music hitmaker Martina McBride also joined the list of cancellations on Thursday.
‘I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading,’ McBride wrote in an Instagram post, adding that she had ‘asked lots of questions and was assured this was a nonpartisan event that was meant to celebrate ALL 50 states.
‘I thought this was a great way to celebrate the states and also bring people together in the way that only music can,’ she continued. ‘I saw it as just a bigger version of so many state fairs that I have performed at over the years, celebrating community and what makes each state special.’
But McBride added, ‘Yesterday things started changing and what we were told is, in fact, not what is happening.’
She went on to defend herself, saying she had spent her ‘entire career singing songs about real people with real issues’ and being a ‘voice for those who have felt like they didn’t have one.’
‘It greatly upsets me that any fan who has been moved by my music may now feel like I’m abandoning the meaning behind those songs,’ McBride continued. ‘I assure you, that is not the case. I appreciate every single fan who has reached out.’
Young MC went on to join the chorus of artists distancing themselves from the event in a Facebook post.
Country music hitmaker Martina McBride also joined the list of cancellations on Thursday
‘I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading,’ McBride wrote, adding that she had ‘asked lots of questions and was assurd this was a nonpartisan event that was meant to celebrate ALL 50 states’
‘I HAVE INFORMED MY AGENTS THAT I WILL NOT BE PERFORMING AT THE FREEDOM 250 EVENT,’ he wrote.
The rapper (born Marvin Young) went on to claim that ‘The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event.’
‘And despite the claims by the organizers that the event is non-partisan, SPIN magazine describes it as “Trump-backed,”‘ he continued. ‘I hope to perform in DC in the near future at an event that is not so politically charged.’
Young MC clarified how his name came to be associated with Freedom 250 and called it a ‘bait-and-switch’ scheme in an interview with Vibe on Thursday.
‘I had no clue it was considered a “Trump-backed” event, so that was new to me,’ he said. ‘My whole thing was “tell me what the event is, what it’s about, who you are, and then give me the choice of whether I want to do the event or not.” I was never given that choice.
‘I was told one thing, and then it was a bait-and-switch,’ Young MC alleged. ‘All the comments I’ve seen from the artists that have dropped out thought it was supposed to be a regular show in DC.’
The Freedom 250 concert was thrown into chaos when multiple performers announced that they were dropping out, including Morris Day, left
Among the performers announced was Milli Vanilli, but members of a group calling themselves The Real Milli Vanilli issued a statement on Thursday distancing themselves from Freedom 250.
‘Others using the name “Milli Vanilli” that appear on the advertisement should be considered a tribute band with no association vocally or musically to our sound or songs,’ they wrote.
Milli Vanilli was originally billed as a duo featuring Rob Pilatus, who died in 1998, and Fab Morvan, but they were later revealed to have only lip-synced to songs performed by studio vocalists, most of whom appear to comprise the Real Milli Vanilli group.
However, Morvan was featured on advertisements for Freedom 250, suggesting that a group featuring him may perform under the Milli Vanilli name.
Even as other artists rushed to jump ship, Vanilla Ice’s management confirmed that he would still be part of the Freedom 250 lineup.
‘Vanilla Ice is contracted and will perform at the Great American Fair at the National Mall on Friday, June 26,’ TQ management told Rolling Stone. ‘He is proud to help celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary! Everyone is welcome to attend and celebrate USA’s Birthday and our Freedom!’
