- Primary Subject: Great American State Fair (Freedom 250 Concerts)
- Key Update: Multiple music artists have withdrawn from the lineup after discovering the event is affiliated with Donald Trump.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: May 29, 2026
- Quick Answer: Young MC, Morris Day and The Time, Freedom Williams, The Commodores, and Martina McBride withdrew. Milli Vanilli claims they were never even booked.
Several artists have announced their decision to withdraw from US President Donald Trump’s patriotic concert, Great American State Fair, a 16-day event organized by the president’s nonprofit Freedom 250.
Running from June 25 to July 10, the fair will turn the National Mall into “the biggest, boldest state fair in the country” to celebrate the USA’s 250th anniversary.
In addition to attractions and competitions, there will also be a lineup of music stars scheduled to perform, but it looks like many of them have already pulled out.
Who Has Pulled Out from Donald Trump’s Freedom 250 Concerts?
After the first wave of performers for Donald Trump’s Freedom 250 was announced, a number of artists pulled out, claiming they were unaware of the event’s political affiliation.
Freedom 250 spokesperson Rachel Reisner said in a statement to USA Today that the organization is “dedicated to uniting Americans around the nation's 250th anniversary.”
However, with several artists canceling their appearances, it appears that may not be what ultimately happens.
Here’s who has decided not to take the stage at the Great American State Fair.
Young MC and Morris Day and The Time announced their decisions to withdraw from their scheduled June 26 performances in posts on Facebook.
“I have informed my agents that I will not be performing at the Freedom 250 event,” Young MC wrote.
“The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event,” Young MC continued. “And despite the claims by the organizers that the event is nonpartisan, 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.”
C+C Music Factory frontman Freedom Williams also canceled his June 26 performance. In an Instagram video, he said he was not informed of the fair’s affiliation with Trump when he was booked for the event.
“[My agent] didn't mention Trump. ... I'm getting all these texts, ‘We're going to cancel C+C Music Factory. This is going to be a terrible show,’” he said. “So, I told my agent, ‘Yeah, no, I ain't good to do that. I don't [support] Trump.’”
However, in a later expletive-filled tirade, he suggested that he might still perform in order to irritate his detractors.
“The day I let you ... tell me what to do is the day I die. ... You can't cancel me,” he claimed.
Morris Day and The Time also announced their withdrawal from their June 27 appearance in a Facebook post.
“Contrary to rumor, Morris Day [and] The Time will not be performing at the Great American State Fair,” a graphic read. “It’s a no for me,” the caption added.
In addition, Milli Vanilli canceled its performance alongside Jodie Rocco. In fact, the group told The Associated Press that it had never even been contacted to perform at the concert.
“My sister and I were shocked to see our name, ‘Milli Vanilli,’ listed as one of the performers,” they said in an email.
Meanwhile, The Commodores revealed that they would not appear at the concert in a post on Instagram.
“The Commodores will not be performing at the Great American State Fair,” they wrote. “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.”
Lastly, Martina McBride confirmed her withdrawal from her scheduled June 25 performance in a post on X, revealing that she had been misled into believing she would be performing at a “non-partisan event.”
So far, the artists still listed to perform at the Freedom 250 concert who have not announced their withdrawal are Vanilla Ice, Flo Rida, and Bret Michaels. The organization has also revealed that more performers will be announced at a later date.
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