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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRegarding all the "stars" bowing out of Trump's 250th Anniversary Performance
My guess is that their agents scrutinized their contracts. And advised them not to do it.
And to withdraw before those contracts were signed and Trump would sue for breach of contract if they bowed out later.
Lovie777
(23,907 posts)When they show pics and videos I know I'm going to be laughing my ass off.
Sad tho, it should be the celebration of all Americans, but at this point in time, it defies the USA's true meaning.............
Truth, justice, diversity, freedom of Religion, separation of church and state, freedom of all rights, love thy neighbor, security both inside and out, et al.,
Ritabert
(2,657 posts)Irish_Dem
(82,622 posts)Ritabert
(2,657 posts)larwdem
(911 posts)they probably have something in the contracts that says they have to promote him on stage
D_Master81
(2,699 posts)I forget who it was but 1 act said they werent even contacted about performing. Its like a last minute thing thrown together. I think partly too, MAGA isnt cool so they see it as a career risk at this point to attach themselves to a sinking ship.
no_hypocrisy
(55,504 posts)I believe that Elton John was "booked" for the first Inaugural Ball in 2017, but he never agreed to it. He publicly repudiated the schedule with him included.
LetMyPeopleVote
(182,677 posts)Last edited Sat May 30, 2026, 07:48 PM - Edit history (1)
Trumps advisers worked quickly to organize a rally, set for June 24, after several performers slated for the concert series to be held this summer on the National Mall dropped out.
ð§µ NEW WaPo: Trump to headline at Freedom 250 Great American State Fair after music acts cancel.
— Nancy Levine Stearns (@nancylevinestearns.bsky.social) 2026-05-30T20:13:55.601Z
Freedom 250 spokesperson said yesterday that Trump's Freedom 250 is 'inherently nonpolitical.'
So Trump will perform at his 'inherently nonpolitical' Freedom 250 event.
wapo.st/3PwQEyL

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/05/30/trump-headline-great-american-state-fair-after-music-acts-cancel
The Great American State Fair organized by Freedom 250, a Trump-aligned entity he created by executive order to plan semiquincentennial events this week announced a lineup of performers. More than half canceled shortly thereafter, including Martina McBride and Bret Michaels, claiming they had not known about the organizing groups connections to the president.
After Trump said on his Truth Social platform Saturday that he understood Artists are getting the yips about performing and suggested headlining the event himself, Danielle Alvarez, an adviser to Freedom 250, confirmed to The Washington Post that Trump will now kick off an opening event for the fair.
As the visionary behind the Great American State Fair, we are excited to announce that President Trump will personally kick off this historic celebration on Wednesday, June 24 in an opening ceremony celebrating Americas 250th birthday, Alvarez said in a statement first shared with The Post. She called the multiday event a Worlds Fair celebrating the people, traditions, innovations, and spirit that make America the greatest nation on Earth......
Prior to Freedom 250 confirming the newly planned speech, Trump in his Truth Social post wrote that he was thinking about bringing the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World, the man who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime, and he does so without a guitar, the man who loves our Country more than anyone else, and the man who some say is the Greatest President in History (THE GOAT!), DONALD J. TRUMP, to take the place of these highly paid, Third Rate Artists, and give a major speech, rallying the Country forward like I have done ever since being President!