Trump slams Freedom 250 concert dropouts, compares himself to Elvis

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US President Donald Trump shows a replica of one of Elvis Presley's guitars after he signed it, as he tours the Jungle Room during his visit to Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 23, 2026. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)

With the vast majority of the announced acts having dropped out of this summer’s "The Great American State Fair" at the National Mall, President Donald Trump posted Saturday that he does not want them performing. The president suggested someone else take the stage, someone he says "gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime".

The backstory:

Earlier this week, organizers for the State Fair, which will run from June 25 to July 10, revealed their lineup of performers who would take part in a series of concerts scheduled alongside the other exhibits, tributes, and programs. In the days since the announcement, most of the acts have begged off the event. 

Martina McBride, former ‘Poison’ frontman Bret Michaels, and the Commodores had all dropped out as of Saturday, as had Morris Day and Young MC. Many of the artists indicated they thought the fair was going to be a non-partisan event or they did not want to be part of a political fight.

What they're saying:

In Saturday’s post, Trump criticized the acts his administration’s Freedom 250 organization picked to perform, accusing them of getting "the yips," and saying he does not "want so-called ‘Artists’ that get paid far too much money."

Instead of musicians, Trump suggested someone he claims draws larger crowds than Elvis Presley did in his heyday and "does so without a guitar." By that, he meant himself. The post concluded with the president directing his team to look into whether he could give a speech at the event instead. 

The other side:

Not every act has dropped out. Flo Rida remains on the bill, as does Vanilla Ice. A spokesperson for the "Ice Ice Baby" performer said the rapper was "proud to help celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary!" Fab Morvan, of Milli Vanilli, confirmed to the Associated Press that he would still perform, saying he was "here to entertain people, not divide them." 

Dig deeper:

In Trump’s description of the performers getting "the yips," the one-time New Yorker appeared to harken back to one of the most popular (and most New York-centric) Seinfeld catchphrases. 

In the show, though, the term referred to an issue experienced by then-Yankees second-baseman Chuck Knoblauch that caused him to make errant throws to first base. More generally, the term refers to unintended movements or spasms that affect accuracy and have been recorded across many sports.