President Donald Trump is contemplating canceling the planned concert for America’s 250th birthday, proposing instead to transform the event into a rally with himself as the star attraction.
The 79-year-old former president is eager to add another highlight to his career, declaring himself ‘THE GOAT’—an acronym for the greatest of all time—and announcing his intention to headline the celebration.
In an extensive post on Truth Social this past Saturday, Trump proclaimed himself the ‘Number One Attraction anywhere in the World,’ drawing a comparison to Elvis Presley.
According to Trump, unlike Elvis, who relied on a guitar to entertain his audience, he only needs a microphone and an engaging speech to draw ‘much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime,’ he asserted.
While attendees won’t witness Trump in a sequined jumpsuit or hear him sing, he plans to deliver a speech at the rally instead.
‘I am directing my Representatives to explore the possibility of organizing 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!’
The Republican said he would ‘take the place of these highly paid, Third Rate “Artists,” and give a major speech, rallying the Country forward like I have done ever since being President!’
‘Two years ago, the United States was DEAD. Now we have the “HOTTEST” Country anywhere in the World,’ he wrote.
President Donald Trump has likened himself to being more popular than Elvis was in his prime as he proposed to cancel America’s birthday concert and turn it into a rally with him headlining instead
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 don’t want so-called “Artists” that get paid far too much money, who aren’t happy. I only want to be surrounded by Happy People, Smart People, Successful People, and People that know how to WIN.’
His Saturday outburst comes after several artists dropped out of the concert due to backlash and threats.
Poison front man, Bret Michaels, said late Thursday that he had jumped at the chance to honor the nation, only to pull out, fearing for the safety of his relatives, friends and bandmates.
He joins Morris Day, Young MC, the Commodores and Martina McBride, with five of the nine headline acts dropping out since the lineup was announced on Wednesday – and just a month before the music festival is due to kick off on the National Mall.
The artists say they were led to believe Freedom 250 was a nonpartisan commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary, only to learn that it was tied to the Trump Administration.
Michaels said the event pitched to him by organizers had ‘evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of.’
The rocker, 63, said he had been sold on the idea that the concert was ‘a celebration of our country through music and a chance to honor our veterans,’ but the politics surrounding the event had put his family, friends and bandmates at risk.
‘Concerns have also been raised regarding the safety of my fans, band, crew, family and myself, including threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable,’ Michaels said in a statement.
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
He insisted: ‘This isn’t about politics. It’s about staying true to what I’ve always believed in. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. That’s one of the freedoms our veterans fought for and something I’ve always respected. But as a father, friend and bandmate, I have to take threats and safety concerns seriously.’
Michaels’ departure deepens the crisis for the event organizers, who are now left with just four acts: Vanilla Ice, Flo Rida, C+C Music Factory, and Milli Vanilli.
Vanilla Ice has defended Trump’s Freedom 250 concert as the rapper confirmed he is still taking to the stage during the festivities next month.
The Ice Ice Baby hitmaker, 58, explained to TMZ on Friday that music should be bringing the country together and added the focus should be simply on celebrating the United States.
‘I’m here to party with America, man. Music is made to bring people together and that’s what we are here to do. And we’re just gonna represent the 90s.’
The star, whose real name is Robert Matthew Van Winkle, explained that he doesn’t ‘take anything too serious’ and added that he doesn’t ‘think anybody else should’ as well.
He continued that the intention is to ‘bring people together’ rather than being a ‘political thing.’
Trump is known to be a huge Elvis fan and this isn’t the first time he has compared himself to Elvis.
In 2018 Trump claimed people used to tell him he looked like Elvis Presley
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 referred to himself as ‘THE GOAT’ and said he made the US the ‘hottest’ country in the world
In 2018, he claimed people used to tell him he looked like the late musician.
‘Other than the blonde hair, when I was growing up they said I looked like Elvis… great compliment,’ Trump said at the 2018 event in Tupelo.
That same year, after awarding Elvis the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously, the President said he once attended one of the rock and roller’s concerts.
Later in 2024, Trump posted a picture of his face split with Presley’s, writing: ‘For so many years people have been saying that Elvis and I look alike. Now this pic has been going all over the place. What do you think?’
Earlier this year Trump took a tour of Graceland, Elvis’ estate in Tennessee, where he bizarrely asked a staff member if they thought he could take Elvis in a fight.
The employee said the musician would have let the president win.
Ahead of the tour Trump, who had never met Elvis, joked that he considered lying about meeting the ‘King of Rock and Roll’ personally.
Speaking in Memphis, Tennessee, to a group of law enforcement officers and National Guard troops, the President lauded the Memphis Safe Task Force for bringing down crime.
President Donald Trump joked at a Memphis Safe Task Force event before visiting Graceland in March that he should ‘fib’ about meeting the rock and roller despite the pair never crossing paths. He is pictured in the ‘jungle room’ at Graceland
Trump is pictured visiting Elvis’ home Graceland in March this year
During the remarks, the President shared that he would later visit Graceland, the estate of the late rock and roll star that is just a short drive from downtown Memphis.
‘I’m going to see Graceland after this,’ Trump said. ‘I love Elvis. I never met Elvis. Everyone said, ‘Did you?’
‘I met [Frank] Sinatra. I knew all of them. I never met Elvis. Sometimes I feel I should tell little fibs that I knew him,’ Trump continued.
Trump campaign events have typically featured some of Presley’s most iconic songs, including ‘Suspicious Minds,’ ‘If I Can Dream,’ and ‘An American Trilogy.’
