President Donald Trump is considering transforming a major Washington, D.C., event into a massive political rally after several performers backed out of a planned concert celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.
Trump’s announcement comes after multiple musical artists said they would no longer perform at the Great American State Fair concert scheduled for June 25 on the National Mall.
Among the most prominent names to withdraw was country music star Martina McBride, who said she felt misled about the nature of the event.
In a lengthy Instagram statement, McBride said she originally believed she had agreed to perform at a nonpartisan celebration honoring all 50 states.
“I would like to talk to you and clear the air,” McBride wrote. “I will not be performing at the Great American State Fair on June 25th. I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event, but that turned out to be misleading.”
McBride said she felt compelled to explain her decision directly to fans.
She added that she has “been blessed with the opportunity to be a voice for those who have felt like they didn’t have one,” and said she was saddened that some supporters may feel disappointed by her withdrawal.
The departures raised questions about the future of the event, which had been heavily promoted as part of broader celebrations surrounding America’s upcoming 250th birthday.
On Saturday, Trump responded directly to the growing controversy with a post on Truth Social.
Rather than expressing concern about performers dropping out, Trump floated an entirely different idea.
The president suggested replacing the entertainment lineup altogether and turning the gathering into what he called an “AMERICA IS BACK Rally!”
“I understand Artists are getting ‘the yips’ having to do with their performance on Wednesday,” Trump wrote.
Trump then jokingly suggested that organizers bring in what he described as the event’s biggest possible attraction.
“I am thinking about bringing the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World, the man who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime, and he does so without a guitar, the man who loves our Country more than anyone else, and the man who some say is the Greatest President in History (THE GOAT!), DONALD J. TRUMP, to take the place of these highly paid, Third Rate ‘Artists,’ and give a major speech, rallying the Country forward like I have done ever since being President!” Trump wrote.
The president also used the opportunity to tout what he described as the nation’s turnaround under his leadership.
“Two years ago, the United States was DEAD. Now we have the ‘HOTTEST’ Country anywhere in the World,” he wrote.
Trump also took aim at performers who withdrew from the event.
“I don’t want so-called ‘Artists’ that get paid far too much money, who aren’t happy,” Trump wrote. “I only want to be surrounded by Happy People, Smart People, Successful People, and People that know how to WIN.”
According to Trump, discussions are already underway regarding the possibility of converting the event into a rally.
He described the Truth Social post as official direction to White House staff to examine the feasibility of making the change.
Trump indicated the event would take place at the same time and location as the original concert.
“Same time, same location,” Trump wrote.
The president closed his message by inviting supporters to what he described as a patriotic celebration.
“Only Great Patriots are invited,” Trump wrote. “It will be a Wild and Beautiful Celebration of America!”
As of Saturday, organizers had not announced whether the event would proceed as originally planned or be transformed into the rally Trump proposed.
The June 25 gathering remains one of several high-profile events tied to the nation’s upcoming semiquincentennial celebration, though attention has now shifted from the performers who left to the possibility that Trump himself could become the headline attraction.
