US President Donald Trump will open the Great American State Fair, dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the country's independence. This was reported by the Freedom 250 organization, which is administering the event. The head of the White House will take part in the opening ceremony in place of the artists who refused to perform at the celebration.
The fair is “an exhibition that celebrates the people, traditions, innovations and spirit that make America the greatest nation on Earth,” Freedom 250 spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez said. The event will take place for 16 days from June 25 to July 10 on the National Mall in Washington, DC.
It will represent all US states and territories through exhibits from each region and their industry. There will also be family attractions, venues for movie screenings and concerts. Trump himself announced in a Truth Social post that he was working on holding a rally on Wednesday to “take the place of these overrated artists.”
“Instead of inviting overrated singers who no one wants to listen to, whose music is boring and who do nothing but complain, we need to have a huge Make America Great Again rally for the 250th anniversary,” Trump said.
The head of the White House called for the “canceling” of these artists, and also refused to participate in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which, according to the president, “is in deplorable condition and is unsafe for visitors.” He linked this to the decision of federal judge for the District of Columbia Christopher Cooper, who last week demanded that Trump's name be removed from the name of the Kennedy Center.
The head of the White House called the judge “extremely controversial and corrupt” for preventing Trump from making the center “great again.” The Kennedy Center was renamed last year at the initiative of the new board of trustees.
Failures
Artists' performances at the fair began to be announced at the end of May, but some of them soon refused to participate. Some musicians say they were misled. For example, country singer Martina McBride said that as the event approached, “things started to change” and what the organizers were telling the artists “wasn’t really true.”
“I was assured that this was a nonpartisan event that was supposed to celebrate all 50 states, but that turned out to be a lie,” McBride said.
Bret Michaels of the glam rock band Poison said on social media that he would not attend, although he would continue to support veterans, military personnel and teachers “as he has in the past.” He also expressed concerns about the safety of other band members and fans due to the “unfounded and inexcusable threats” made against him.
“Unfortunately, what was presented to us as a celebration of our country has turned into something much more controversial than what I agreed to be a part of,” Michaels said.
A similar position is shared by the funk-soul group Commodores, rapper Young MC and Morris Day from the funk band The Time, ABC News reports. At the same time, Fab Morvan of the pop duo Milli Vanilli said he would perform, CBS reported.
Scheduled artists also include Flo Rida and C+C Music Factory. Member of the latter group, Freedom Williams, said that although he does not support Trump, he still plans to speak at the event. Also, according to Fox News, rap artist Vanilla Ice will take part in the concert, who noted that the fair is “not a political platform,” but “a celebration of America’s birthday.”
“It's all about enjoying the great events of 250 years of history. From George Washington to the present day. All presidents and everyone in between are [празднование годовщины] a magical event that is about to happen,” the rapper said.
At the time of writing this material, he and the other announced artists have not changed their status for participation in the festive events.
As part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, a UFC tournament will also be held on the South Lawn of the White House – it will be held on Trump's birthday on June 14. In the main fight, Georgian Ilia Topuria and American Justin Gaethje will collide. At the same time, the president bought shares of the UFC owner shortly before the event.
Also, a limited number of commemorative passports with a portrait of Trump and gold coins with his image will be issued for the holiday, RTVI.US reported. In addition, the US Treasury proposed issuing a $250 banknote with the image of the head of the White House.
