President Donald Trump called for canceling musical performances tied to the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, which intends to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, after several artists announced they would not perform because of the event’s political nature.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social account Saturday that there should be “a giant MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY for 250, instead of having overpriced singers, who nobody wants to hear, whose music is boring, and yet who do nothing but complain.”
Several artists have withdrawn from performing at the Great American State Fair, which is scheduled to take place in Washington from June 25 to July 10. The celebration “will unite and showcase all 56 U.S. states and territories in a single World’s Fair-scale event,” according to the event’s website.
“This once-in-a-generation celebration will feature live music, carnival rides and dozens of hands-on partner activations, where visitors can taste, touch and experience what makes each state and territory unique,” the website states.
In a statement on her Instagram account, country singer Martina McBride said she would not perform at the Great American State Fair on June 25. McBride said she was offered the opportunity to perform at what she understood to be a nonpartisan event, but later learned that characterization was “misleading.”
“I asked lots of questions and was assured this was a nonpartisan event that was meant to celebrate ALL 50 states,” McBride wrote.
Last week, rapper Young MC wrote on Facebook that he had informed his agents he would not perform at the Freedom 250 event. Freedom 250 is a nonprofit organization organizing events to celebrate more than 200 years of American freedom.
“The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event,” Young MC said of the Great American State Fair.
“And despite the claims by the organizers that the event is nonpartisan, SPIN magazine describes it as ‘Trump-backed,'” the rapper continued. “I hope to perform in D.C. in the near future at an event that is not so politically charged.”
The Commodores, an American funk and soul group that gained popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s, also announced in a Thursday X post that they would not perform at the Great American State Fair.
“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 wrote.
In his Saturday Truth Social post, Trump said of the musical performances: “Cancel it, just like I canceled my involvement with the failing and unsafe to be in Kennedy Center, because a Highly Conflicted, Crooked Federal Judge, said that I should not be allowed to spend my time and money in order to MAKE THE CENTER GREAT AGAIN, actually, far greater than it ever was before!”
“So now, the Kennedy Center will collapse, both structurally and financially,” the president added. “Judge Cooper and his wife, Amy Jeffress (obfuscation anyone?), should be ashamed of themselves. Judge Cooper, like numerous other Crooked Judges on my cases, should be IMPEACHED. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper blocked the Kennedy Center’s rebranding to include Trump’s name, ordering that the president’s name be removed from the center within two weeks.
The judge’s order also blocked the two-year closure and renovation plan but clarified that workers can still carry out “necessary maintenance and repair work.”
“The Court is not persuaded that the closure is categorically unwarranted or impermissible under the U.S. Code. The Court’s preliminary injunction thus does not bar the Board from reconsidering the closure issue in a prudent manner,” Cooper wrote.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
