Trump eyes National Mall rally after musicians pull out of anniversary celebrations

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he is considering replacing a planned series of concerts on Washington’s National Mall marking the nation’s 250th anniversary after several performers withdrew from the event.

The concerts were scheduled as part of the Great American State Fair, a 16-day celebration set to run from June 25 to July 10, 2026.

Organized by the Freedom 250 group, the event was expected to stretch across the National Mall from the US Capitol to the Washington Monument, featuring concert stages, state pavilions, exhibits, rides and other attractions.

However, the musical lineup has been hit by a series of cancellations in recent weeks.

On Friday, Bret Michaels, lead singer of the rock band Poison, became the fifth performer to pull out of the concerts. Michaels said he had initially believed the event would be a nonpartisan celebration.

Organizers have not publicly detailed the reasons behind the departures, but the withdrawals have raised questions about whether the concert series can proceed as originally planned.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump suggested that the concerts may no longer be necessary if artists continue to withdraw from the event. Instead, he floated the idea of delivering a speech on the National Mall and holding a political-style rally.

“The fact is that I am, according to many, the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World,” Trump wrote.

He claimed that he attracts “much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime” and “does so without a guitar.”

Trump said he was directing his representatives to examine the feasibility of holding an “America Is Back” rally as part of the anniversary celebrations.

Freedom 250 is a public-private partnership established by the White House to coordinate activities commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States in collaboration with federal agencies.

It remains unclear whether organizers will seek replacement performers or seriously consider Trump’s proposal to substitute the concerts with a rally.

The planned anniversary celebrations are intended to mark 250 years since the founding of the United States and are expected to include events across the country.