Trump kicks off America’s 250th birthday with rally
President Donald Trump kicked off the White House’s Great American State Fair Wednesday night with a rally-style event at the National Mall to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary — but not without controversy.
Trump’s speech is the first of many events set to take place over the next 16 days as part of the Trump administration’s Freedom 250 programming, a public-private partnership that will feature exhibits from 56 states and territories, and includes a rodeo and games organized by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (That initiative is separate from America250, a congressionally authorized celebration.)
But Wednesday’s patriotic event got off to a bumpy start weeks before the night began.
Shortly after the fair was announced, several artists expected to headline the event backed out or said they never agreed to perform, including Morris Day and The Time, rapper Young MC, Jodie Rocco of Milli Vanilli, country singer Martina McBride, The Commodores and former Poison frontman Bret Michaels. McBride said in a statement on X in May that she “was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading.”
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Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW, with a focus on how global events and foreign policy shape U.S. politics. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.
Julianne McShane is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW who also covers the politics of abortion and reproductive rights. You can send her tips from a non-work device on Signal at jmcshane.19 or follow her on X or Bluesky.
