Milli Vanilli and The Commodores are among to have dropped out of Donald Trump‘s Freedom 250 celebration at the Great American State Fair.
The event was announced earlier this week and is scheduled to take place at the National Mall in Washington DC between June 25 and July 10. Per an official listing, the “once-in-a-generation celebration” will “unite and showcase all 56 US states and territories in a single World’s Fair-scale event”.
Initially, the line-up included Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli, Flo Rida, Poison frontman Bret Michaels, The Commodores, Young MC, Morris Day & The Time, C+C Music Factory and more.
However, shortly after the announcement was made, Morris Day & The Time dropped out, saying he wouldn’t be performing despite the “rumour”, and adding: “It’s a no from me.”
Young MC promptly followed suit, writing on Instagram: “I HAVE INFORMED MY AGENTS THAT I WILL NOT BE PERFORMING AT THE FREEDOM 250 EVENT,” and claiming: “The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event.
Now, it appears that Milli Vanilli won’t be performing either, according to a statement shared to social media from a group called The Real Milli Vanilli. “Others using the name ‘Milli Vanilli’ that appear on the advertisement should be considered a tribute band with no association vocally or musically to our sound or songs,” the group’s Jodie Rocco said.
However, Fab Morvan, who is generally considered the sole remaining member of Milli Vanilli, has not yet made a comment, nor is he included on the statement.
Official Statement from The Real Milli Vanilli regarding @Freedom250 featured performances. pic.twitter.com/DCRcwgdk5t
— Milli Vanilli (@MilliVanilli) May 28, 2026
Brett Michaels released his own lengthy statement yesterday (May 29), about his “difficult decision” to step away from the performance.
“When this opportunity was originally presented to my team, it was described as a celebration of our country through music and a chance to honor our veterans, active military, first responders, teachers, and hardworking Americans from all walks of life,” he wrote. He said the show “evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of.”
The Commodores have also joined the drop-outs. “Our music has always been our voice and we choose not to publicly affiliate with any single political party,” the band said in a statement on Instagram. “We support the betterment of all Americans.”
Martina McBride also took to Instagram earlier this week to “clear the air” and announce, “I will not be performing at the Great American State Fair on June 25th.” The singer said that while she was “presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event,” the supposed show “turned out to be misleading.”
Meanwhile, rapper Freedom Williams of C+C Music Factory has defended his group’s decision to do the event via a seven-minute rant video shared to Instagram.
“I don’t fuck with Trump,” he said. “But the day I let you motherfuckers tell me what to do is the day I die.”
Original information about the event read: “This is an opportunity for visitors from across America to experience an unforgettable celebration of the people and traditions that define our nation,” it adds. “Our nation unites diverse states and territories to form the strongest country in the world.”
There’ll be live music, carnival rides and numerous partner activations, where attendees “can taste, touch, and experience what makes each state and territory unique”.
In other news, Trump has shared his less-than-glowing thoughts on the final episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, comparing the host to a “dead person” and throwing him into a bin in an AI-generated video.
