Several artists have dropped out of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Great American State Fair after the lineup was announced, prompting Trump to suggest replacing them with a rally of his own.
The Great American State Fair shows were announced earlier this week and are set to take place on Washington’s National Mall.
Bret Michaels, Martina McBride, Young MC, Morris Day and the Commodores are among the scheduled acts who have said they will not be appearing.
The Great American State Fair, a 16-day event organized by Trump’s non-profit Freedom 250, is expected to run June 25 through July 10.
Freedom 250, which Trump launched late last year, describes itself as a “national, non-partisan organization leading the celebration of our Nation’s 250th birthday.”
Trump appointed Keith Krach, who served as an under-secretary of state during his first term, as the organization’s CEO.
After hearing of artists backing out, Trump took to social media on Saturday and said he is considering replacing some of the scheduled entertainment with an “AMERICA IS BACK Rally” in Washington, D.C., to give a speech.
“I understand Artists are getting ‘the yips’ having to do with their performance,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Trump went on to describe himself as “the man who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime” and suggested he could take the place of artists who have withdrawn from the event.
“I am thinking about bringing … DONALD J. TRUMP, to 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,” he wrote.
He added that he only wants to be surrounded by “Happy People, Smart People, Successful People, and People that know how to WIN.”
He said in light of that, he would be directing representatives to examine the feasibility of holding the rally.
“Only Great Patriots invited — It will be a Wild and Beautiful Celebration of America!” Trump wrote.
Michaels, Poison’s frontman, announced early Friday that he was pulling out of the event following concerns regarding his safety.
“When this opportunity was originally presented to my team, it was described as a celebration of our country through music and a chance to honor our veterans, active military, first responders, teachers and hardworking Americans from all walks of life,” Michaels said in a statement posted to Instagram. “As the son of a veteran, and coming from a family that has proudly served, that is something I have always been honored to support.
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“Unfortunately, what was presented to us as a celebration of our country has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of. Concerns have also been raised regarding the safety of my fans, band, crew, family and myself, including threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable. Because of that, I have made the difficult decision to step away from this performance.”
Michaels said his cancellation “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 added.
Country singer McBride wrote Thursday on social media that she will not be performing at the Great American State Fair on June 25.
McBride said she had agreed to perform after she “was assured this was a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading.”
“In my mind I thought this was a great way to celebrate the states and also bring people together in the way that only music can. I saw it as just a bigger version of so many state fairs I have performed at over the years, celebrating community and what makes each state special,” McBride continued. “Sounds fun, right? Wholesome even. Yesterday things started changing and what we were told is, in fact, not what is happening.”
The Concrete Angel singer said she has spent her entire career “singing songs about real people with real issues.”
“I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to be 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. I assure you, that is not the case,” she wrote.
Rapper Young MC also backed out of the event, telling Vibe on Thursday that he had no clue the Great American State Fair was a “Trump-backed event.”
“So that was new to me. 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,” he told the outlet. “I was told one thing and then it was a bait-and-switch. All the comments I’ve seen from the artists that have dropped out thought it was supposed to be a regular show in D.C.”
The Bust A Move rapper questioned whether the National Mall shows would be non-partisan.
“The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event,” he wrote on Instagram, adding that he hoped to “perform in D.C. in the near future at an event that is not so politically charged.”
Morris Day shared a graphic to Facebook that read, “Contrary to rumor, Morris Day & The Time will not be performing at ‘Great American State Fair.”
“It’s a no for me,” he added in the caption.
The Commodores announced that they would not be performing at the Great American State Fair.
In a post on X, the band said that “our music has always been our voice and we choose not to publicly affiliate with any single political party.”
“We support the betterment of all Americans,” the band added.
Other scheduled performers who are still set to make an appearance include Milli Vanilli, the pop duo from the 1980s who were discredited after it was revealed that their frontmen, Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan, were only lip-syncing.
Milli Vanilli won a Grammy in 1990 for Best New Artist, but the award was rescinded after the scandal broke. Pilatus died in 1998, while Morvan has attempted a solo career and published a memoir, You Know It’s True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli.
Morvan told Rolling Stone that he would still be performing at the Great American State Fair.
“I am here to entertain and unite people, not divide them,” Morvan said. “Let’s celebrate life and music and take a trip down memory lane. I feel honored to be a part of as it will celebrate the 250 Year Anniversary of America with so many other accomplished artists.”
Rapper Vanilla Ice will also be performing at the Great American State Fair.
The Ice Ice Baby rapper’s manager, TQ Management, told Rolling Stone he is looking forward to the concert.
“Vanilla Ice is contracted and will perform at the Great American Fair at the National Mall on Friday, June 26,” the rep told the outlet. “He is proud to help celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary! Everyone is welcome to attend and celebrate USA’s Birthday and our Freedom!”
Vanilla Ice shared a TikTok on Thursday, confirming his excitement for the event.
“I’m super honoured to do this concert with everybody. We’re going to bring back the ’90s. Put your dancing shoes on,” he said in the video. “It’s all about enjoying the great times of 250 years from George Washington until now, all the presidents and everybody in between. This is a magical event that’s going to happen.”
Others announced as performers at the Great American State Fair include Flo Rida and C+C Music Factory.
— with files from The Associated Press
