Artists bail on Trump-backed 250th birthday concert amid lineup criticism

Amid Trump-backed Freedom 250 celebrations for America’s 250th birthday, the Great American State Fair at the National Mall has drawn fire as a nostalgia-heavy lineup unravels with withdrawals by Morris Day and Young MC who say they were not told about any political involvement. The event, funded through public-private partnerships with Palantir, Oracle, Deloitte and Lockheed Martin, faces scrutiny over donor access promises and a UFC cage planned on the White House lawn, with the celebration running June 25–July 10 and critics calling the spectacle a parody rather than a unifying festivity.