America’s 250th Birthday Bash Embroiled in Controversy

America’s 250th birthday is right around the corner. And what better way to celebrate than the highly anticipated Great American State Fair on the National Mall, featuring state-themed pavilions, exhibits, performances, and traditional fair attractions? Well, according to some – including nearly all of the artists initially scheduled to perform – just about anything. As such, what was intended to be a patriotic semiquincentennial celebration to unite America has devolved into controversy.

250th Birthday Blues

Freedom 250, the group behind the National Mall event, recently announced a concert lineup that took many by surprise. Instead of today’s top performers, the artists included aged acts like Vanilla Ice, Flo Rida, Martina McBride, and Bret Michaels.

After the lineup was widely mocked on social media, the performers started dropping like flies, with one after the other pulling out of the historic event. Young MC announced that he would no longer perform at the Great American State Fair, writing on social media: “The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event. And despite the claims by the organizers that the event is non-partisan, SPIN magazine describes it as Trump-backed. I hope to perform in D.C. in the near future at an event that is not so politically charged."

The Commodores and country singer Martina McBride each pulled out of the event for political reasons, as well, with the latter claiming she had been told the Great American State Fair was nonpartisan, which, according to her, "turned out to be misleading." McBride notably performed at the White House during President Barack Obama’s administration.

Musician Bret Michaels, in announcing his canceled performance, claimed his fans, band, crew, family, and himself were facing threats that were “completely unfounded and unforgivable.”

So the concerts were canceled altogether and replaced with a rally featuring President Donald Trump, a move that is unlikely to ease concerns about the event becoming politicized.

But the president ultimately wouldn’t be deterred – and on Thursday, June 5, he announced via Truth Social that the concert was back on, this time with a new slate of performers.

“On Wednesday, June 24, at 7 P.M., in magnificent Washington, D.C., now totally beautiful, and one of the Safest Cities anywhere in the World, and in celebration of our Country’s 245 Year History, we will be bringing you, LIVE, the Greatest Rally, EVER!” Trump wrote. “We don’t want singers with no talent, but big fees to put you to sleep, we’ve told them to stay home. All we want is you, me, a few speakers, and the Greatest Music ever played, the same Music you have listened to for years!”

The new lineup includes Lee Greenwood of “God Bless the USA” fame, opera singer Christopher Macchio, the US Army Band, the Armed Forces Choir, the US Marine Band, and the Joint Armed Forces Chorus.

Freedom 250 vs America 250

Much of the confusion surrounding the event stems from the two main groups organizing semiquincentennial festivities: America 250 and Freedom 250. While both are self-described bipartisan groups, the former was established nearly a decade ago in Congress, while the latter was created by the Trump administration to fulfill the president’s campaign promise to “give America the most spectacular birthday party the world has ever seen for America’s 250th anniversary.”

Both groups have organized major events. Freedom 250 is putting on the Great American State Fair, the Salute to America fireworks show on July 4, and the Patriot Games, a physical fitness competition featuring high school athletes. America 250 is organizing America’s Block Party, which aims to “unite communities” with local celebrations nationwide.

Get It Together, Patriots

America 250 and Freedom 250 have each faced criticism over alleged partisanship, but here's the thing: America is bigger than a president, two nonprofits, and a handful of has-beens. It’s bigger than modern politics – no matter how annoying or destructive. The men and women who built this country did not spill blood, sweat, and tears so the 250th anniversary of the greatest nation on Earth could be reduced to partisan whining and a lame birthday party. It is every American’s duty to go full patriot for the semiquincentennial: Raise the biggest American flag you own and celebrate this country for the God-given miracle it is.