After 'no-talent' artists drop out, Trump unveils new Freedom 250 rally lineup
After a slew of artists dropped out of the Freedom 250 concert series, President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he would be replacing them with familiar voices, and the rally will be headlined by him. Trump further called the performers "no-talent artists" who chose to withdraw from the shows after finding out about their ties with the administration.
Late last month, organizers for the Freedom 250 concert, a public-private partnership helmed by Keith Krach, a Trump appointee, announced a star-studded lineup of artists to perform at the shows. However, soon after the announcement, many of the artists dropped out, citing that they were misled and they didn't know the events had ties with the Trump administration. Thus, Trump revealed Thursday that he has lined up a couple of familiar voices to replace the "no-talent" artists who pulled out.
"We don't want singers with no talent, but big fees to put you to sleep, we've told them all to stay home," he said at the announcement, the New York Post reported. "We will have the fabulous Lee Greenwood introducing me with what has turned out to be one of the Greatest Hits of All Time, GOD BLESS THE U.S.A., and the amazing Christopher Macchio, who will sing Nessun Dorma, Hallelujah, Ave Maria, God Bless America, and others. Not since the legendary Luciano Pavarotti has there been such a voice!" the President went on to reveal. Trump added that the U.S. Army Band, Armed Forces Choir, U.S. Marine Band, and Joint Armed Forces Chorus will also perform, and a "highly dignified gentleman known as President DONALD J. TRUMP" will speak at the rally.
Late last month, organizers announced their lineup for the event, which included Martina McBride, Flo Rida, and the Commodores alongside Nineties acts like Milli Vanilli and Vanilla Ice. Soon after the lineup release, many of the booked acts, including Morris Day and the Time and Young MC, said they would not be participating in the event after finding out it was backed by the administration. "It's a no for me," Day wrote on social media.
Young MC further told the VIBE, "I had no clue it was considered a 'Trump-backed' event, so that was new to me. My whole thing was 'tell me what the event is, what it's about, who you are, and then give me the choice of whether I want to do the event or not.' I was never given that choice. I was told one thing, and then it was a bait-and-switch." He added that all the comments he heard from the other artists who dropped out also thought it was just a regular show in D.C.
Eventually, McBride, Bret Michaels, and the Commodores also exited the concert series, which was scheduled to run from June 25 to July 10 at the National Mall. Thus, Trump replaced the shows with a rally and announced that he would be headlining the event.
