WASHINGTON – After prominent artists pulled out of a series of planned concerts celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary, President Donald Trump said he was considering canceling the musical performances and giving a speech himself instead.
In a social media post on Saturday, May 30, the president criticized the musicians, whom he did not name specifically, for getting what he called “the yips.” He appeared to be referencing the collapsing lineup of musical superstars for the Great American State Fair, a 16-day event organized by the president’s nonprofit Freedom 250.
Country star Martina McBride and R&B group The Commodores were among the latest cancelations for the concert, which is slated to run June 25 through July 10 on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Both said they were initially under the impression the event would be entirely nonpartisan.
Read more: Milli Vanilli out, Vanilla Ice in; who’s left for Trump 250 State Fair?
“That turned out to be misleading,” McBride said in a statement.
Read more: Nearly all Great American State Fair acts drop out, including Bret Michaels
Amid mounting cancelations, Trump said he was thinking about organizing what he characterized in his post as an “AMERICA IS BACK Rally.”
Construction for Freedom 250’s Great American State Fair on the National Mall is seen from the Washington Monument on May 29, 2026, in Washington, DC.
“I don’t want so-called ‘Artists’ that get paid far too much money, who aren’t happy,” he wrote online.
It wasn’t clear from the president’s remarks when exactly the rally would be or if other musicians would still perform. Freedom 250 did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on Trump’s post.
Zachary Schermele is a congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says he wants to cancel Freedom 250 concert, hold rally instead
