Comedian Bill Maher criticized musicians who withdrew from the Trump-linked Freedom 250 concerts tied to America’s 250th anniversary celebrations, arguing that the pullouts make it easier for the event to be defined by President Donald Trump and his supporters.
Bill Maher used his Friday-night HBO show, “Real Time with Bill Maher,” to mock the unraveling lineup for the Freedom 250 concert series planned for the National Mall, and to criticize performers who have backed out after the festival was announced.Maher said the withdrawals risk creating the impression that artists are rejecting the country itself, not just distancing themselves from Trump.> “It looks like you think that Trump is more important than the country itself,” Maher said during his monologue.Maher also warned that if most mainstream acts stay away, the concerts could be perceived as a partisan spectacle — a “big MAGA rally” — rather than a broad civic celebration.Several performers have announced they will no longer participate. The Associated Press and Axios reported that Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, the Commodores, Young MC, and Morris Day were among those who said they had withdrawn shortly after the lineup was publicized. As of late May, the outlets reported that Vanilla Ice, Flo Rida and Fab Morvan of Milli Vanilli remained scheduled to appear.Vanilla Ice has defended staying on the bill, telling Daily Wire that he views the show as entertainment rather than politics.> “It shouldn’t matter: we’re just here to play,” he said.Organizers have promoted the concerts as part of the Great American State Fair, a multi-day event on the National Mall scheduled for June 25 through July 10. Critics and some artists who dropped out have said they believed the event was nonpartisan before learning more about its ties to Trump and his allies.
