What Great American State Fair just did with its concert plans surprises nobody

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If you were planning to attend the Great American State Fair starting in June, especially to see the originally scheduled musical performers, you’ve likely had to adjust your plans. Many of those artists are no longer appearing.

A number of performers, including Bret Michaels from Poison, Martina McBride, The Commodores, Young MC, Morris Day and The Time, and Milli Vanilli, have cancelled their appearances at the event. Most stated they were led to believe it would be a non-political event, which many doubted was true all along.

The event on the National Mall was promoted as a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, but many felt it was overshadowed by politics. Because Trump’s administration organized the event, it was widely expected to reflect their political views.

Musical guests withdrawing from the Great American State Fair won’t be replaced by other musicians

Following a pattern of musicians declining to perform in Washington D.C., Donald Trump will now be the main attraction at the Freedom 250 festival, which takes place from June 25th to July 10th. This move was widely anticipated.

On his Truth Social account, Donald Trump complained that some performers seem nervous or are struggling with their performances. He suggested he could replace them at events, boasting about his status as potentially ‘the Greatest President in History.’ Trump proposed holding a large ‘Make America Great Again’ rally with 250 people instead of hiring expensive, unpopular singers with uninteresting music, as reported by the Associated Press.

Calling what happened to those musicians “the yips” isn’t accurate. The yips suggest a loss of control that prevents success. However, the musicians who withdrew from the Freedom 250 made a deliberate choice based on their own circumstances – they could control the situation, and chose to prioritize something else.

Surprisingly, Vanilla Ice is still planning to attend, despite telling TMZ he doesn’t participate in voting. He also stated he’d perform anywhere, even for Russian President Vladimir Putin or in Iran, explaining, “I have fans everywhere, and music is meant to be universal, not political.”

This raises a few important questions. If this two-week event is meant to celebrate the United States, why would they ask an artist who doesn’t even vote and seems focused on appealing to fans to represent the country?

Vanilla Ice is entitled to his opinions, and it’s possible he’s just performing for his fans while also enjoying the publicity. It could be a beneficial situation for him all around.

It’s odd that Donald Trump is calling the musicians who cancelled their performances “third-rate,” considering his own team originally invited them to play.

It was clear what would happen after those performers cancelled. Instead of finding replacement acts, Donald Trump will be filling their slots.

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2026-05-31 18:00