Martina McBride, Bret Michaels Blast 'Misleading' Freedom 250 Event as Kid Rock and Vanilla Ice Still Set to Perform

Lily Brown, Jack IrvinFri, May 29, 2026 at 3:45 PM UTC

0

Martina McBride in May 2026; Bret MIchaels in July 2014
Credit: Jason Davis/Getty; Andrew Toth/FilmMagic -

Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, Young MC, C+C Music Factory, The Commodores and Morris Day & The Time have all pulled out of the upcoming Great American Freedom 250 concert

Several performers issued statements claiming they were misled by the President Donald Trump-affiliated event

Freedom 250 organizers maintain the event is nonpartisan despite criticism over its connections to Trump and MAGA figures

Since the upcoming Great American Freedom 250 concert announced its lineup of performers earlier this week, most of the musical acts have dropped off the bill, with many saying they do not wish to be associated with the President Donald Trump-affiliated event.

Freedom 250 announced its musical lineup for The Great American State Fair festival, occurring from June 25 through July 10, on Wednesday, May 27. The Instagram post featured nine artists including Martina McBride, Young MC, C+C Music Factory, Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli, The Commodores, Morris Day & The Time, Flo Rida and Bret Michaels.

McBride, Young MC, C+C Music Factory, The Commodores, Morris Day & The Time and Michaels have all since pulled out of the event.

Morris Day & The Time were the first act to announce they won't perform. "Contrary to rumor, Morris Day & the Time will not be performing at the ‘GREAT AMERICAN STATE FAIR,'” Day, 68, said in an Instagram post with a red no entry sign emoji. His caption also read, "It's A No For Me😎."

Morris Day in Beverly Hills in September 2025
Credit: Michael Tullberg/Getty

Young MC, 59, became the second act to publicly withdraw from the government-sponsored festival. In a confirmation message to fans via Facebook on Wednesday, May 27, Young MC wrote, "I HAVE INFORMED MY AGENTS THAT I WILL NOT BE PERFORMING AT THE FREEDOM 250 EVENT."

He continued, "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.' I hope to perform in D.C. in the near future at an event that is not so politically charged."

Young MC in Edmonton in July 2025
Credit: Ron Palmer/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty

C+C Music Factory was the third act to pull out of Freedom 250 on Wednesday, May 27. Frontman Freedom Williams posted an eight-minute video on Instagram, saying he planned to pull out of Freedom 250 after learning about Trump's involvement.

"N----- were calling me out. N----- I've known for years who know I don't f--- with Trump," Williams, 60, said. "My agent called me about three months ago and said, ‘Yo, you wanna do a show the 25th in Washington?' He didn't mention Trump. So I told my agent, ‘Yeah, no, I ain't gonna be able to do that.'"

The Commodores shared a shared a statement to Instagram on Thursday, May 28 explaining they "will not be performing at the Great American State Fair." The band continued, "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."

Martina McBride in Nashville in January 2024
Credit: Catherine Powell/Getty

McBride posted to Instagram the same day to "clear the air" and inform fans she "will not be performing" at the event. "I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event that turned out to be misleading," she began.

"I asked lots of questions and was assured this was a nonpartisan event that was meant to celebrate ALL 50 states," explained McBride, noting she "thought this was a great way to celebrate the states and also bring people together in the way that only music can."

The "Independence Day" singer, 59, compared her initial understanding of the event to the "so many state fairs I have performed at over the years, celebrating community and what makes each state special." She said the prospect sounded "fun" and "wholesome" until she learned "what we were told is, in fact, not what is happening."

"I've spent my 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," added McBride. "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."

Bret Michaels in Phoenix in February 2023
Credit: Cindy Ord/Getty

Michaels followed with an Instagram statement of his own expressing a similar sentiment. He explained the event "was originally presented to my team" 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."

Advertisement

The Rock of Love star, 63, noted that "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." He explained that his career's always been focused on "bringing people together through music, positivity and good vibes" and not "about politics."

"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," continued Michaels. "Concerns have also been raised regarding the safety of my fans, band, crew, family and myself, including threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable."

The Poison alum said he made "the difficult decision" to pull out of the event, noting that the choice is "not about politics" but rather "staying true to what I've always believed in" and letting people have their own opinions. "But as a father, friend and bandmate, I have to take threats and safety concerns seriously," he wrote.

"I will continue to proudly support our veterans, active military members, teachers, first responders and the organizations that serve them, just as I always have," added Michaels.

As of Friday, May 29, Vanilla Ice, Kid Rock, Flo Rida and Milli Vanilli (a.k.a. Fab Morvan) are still set to perform at the event. Morvan was famously one of the faces of Milli Vanilli alongside the late Rob Pilatus, but the group's vocalists included Jodie Rocco, Linda Rocco, Brad Howell, John Davis and Charles Shaw — who announced they won't appear at the event.

"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," read a statement from the singers.

The Freedom 250 website claims to be nonpartisan and promises to "unite and showcase all 56 U.S. states and territories in a single World's Fair-scale event."

In 2025, President Donald Trump previewed plans for the Grandest Celebration of America's Birthday, according to an official fact sheet from The White House. Last July 3, the president, 79, launched the year-long Great American State Fair. It began in Iowa, traveled to state fairs across the country and will wrap with the festival on the National Mall starting June 25.

Though Freedom 250 has been promoted as unbiased, its offshoot Rededicate 250 event that took place on May 17 was promoted as "a full day of prayer, music, and testimony." Followers quickly criticized the religious gathering highlighting administration members, ministers and politicians who identify with the MAGA movement, including Franklin Graham, Mike Johnson, Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio. Additionally, there was a video appearance by President Trump.

President Donald Trump in May 2026
Credit: Win McNamee/Getty

According to the Presidential Initiatives page on the America 250 organization website, which the Trump administration is spearheading, "Task Force 250 was established by Executive Order of the President to mobilize all the federal agencies in support of the 250th anniversary and to coordinate related presidential initiatives connected to the Semiquincentennial. As part of this work, Task Force 250 established Freedom 250, an initiative associated with activities and programming connected to the anniversary."

The America 250 site also mentioned, "Freedom 250 will lead the delivery of the President's national signature events. Together, we will ensure that our nation's 250th anniversary becomes a unifying and unforgettable moment for all Americans." On their homepage, Jeff Bezos's Amazon is listed as one of the sponsors of the event.

Freedom 250 CEO Keith Krach also praised the initiative's nonpartisan nature. "President Donald J. Trump pledged that our nation's 250th birthday would be celebrated in a way worthy of our history, our values, and our future," Krach said on his website. "To help realize that vision at national scale, he launched Freedom 250 — the nonpartisan organization created to lead this historic effort."

Krach also wrote, "I am grateful to President Trump for the opportunity to execute his vision for Freedom 250. At its core, Freedom 250 is a national movement — bringing states, businesses, organizations, and citizens together to honor our history, cherish our God-given freedoms, and help build a golden age of opportunity for the next 250 years."

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”