Several artists who were scheduled to perform at the Great American State Fair, an event tied to US President Donald Trump’s America 250 celebrations, have withdrawn. Freedom 250 had recently announced the initial lineup for the concert series, which is set to take place at the National Mall in Washington DC from June 25 to July 10. Morris Day clarified in a post on his official Facebook page that he won't be appearing at the event, writing, "It's A No For Me." The Commodores also withdrew the day after the lineup announcement. “We choose not to publicly affiliate with any single political party,” the group said in a social media post. Country singer Martina McBride said in a post on X that she has also withdrawn from the event, explaining that she believed it was non-partisan, but has since discovered “that was misleading.” McBride said she “asked lots of questions” and was assured the celebration would include “ALL 50 states” before plans allegedly changed. Bret Michaels also declined to perform, writing on Instagram that the event has become “much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of.” Michaels also raised concerns “regarding the safety” of people connected to his performance, citing violent threats against him, his team and their fans. Vanilla Ice’s management agency confirmed that he still plans to perform, while Flo Rida and C+C Music Factory are still scheduled to appear.
