President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he will hold what he described as “the Greatest Rally, EVER” on June 24 in Washington, D.C., as part of celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Trump said the event would feature speeches, patriotic music, military bands, and performances by country music singer Lee Greenwood and classical crossover artist Christopher Macchio.
He described Washington as “totally beautified” and among the safest cities in the world. Trump said the rally would not rely on celebrity entertainers, instead focusing on supporters, speakers, and traditional patriotic music. He called the event “A Rally to end all Rallies.”
“We don’t want singers with no talent, but big fees to put you to sleep, we’ve told them all to stay home,” Trump said in his post. “All we want is you, me, a few speakers, and the Greatest Music ever played, the same Music you have listened to for years!”
Freedom 250 is the nonpartisan organization working with the White House and other federal agencies to put on the 250th birthday celebration that will run 16 days from June 25 to July 10.
Freedom 250 released a list of performers for the celebration on May 27, but five of the nine groups mentioned said they were pulling out of the event due to perceived political partisanship and security.
Country singer Martina McBride announced May 28 that she would no longer perform at the Great American State Fair, saying she had been led to believe it was a nonpartisan event celebrating all 50 states.
She said “things started changing” and that the event was not what organizers had originally described.
Others who also withdrew from the event include rapper Young MC, funk and soul group The Commodores, Morris Day of Morris Day and The Time, and Bret Michaels, lead singer of the rock band Poison.
After the musicians pulled out, Trump called for the concert events to be canceled. He said he wanted to have a political rally instead.
“We should have a giant Make America Great Again Rally, for 250, instead of having overpriced singers, who nobody wants to hear, whose music is boring, and yet who do nothing but complain,” the president wrote on Truth Social at that time.