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U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he’s considering cancelling a series of concerts commemorating the country’s 250th anniversary after a number of artists dropped out, and he may give a speech instead.
Trump said on the social media platform Truth Social that he was considering giving a speech and rally instead, and called himself “the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World, the man who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime and he does so without a guitar.”
Earlier this week, Bret Michaels, frontman of the rock group Poison, became the fifth musician to withdraw from the Freedom 250 concerts, which are scheduled for June 25 through July 10 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Freedom 250 says on its website that it’s about “Celebrating the Triumph of the American Spirit.” But other events and commemorations surrounding the U.S.’s birthday have been criticized for glorifying Trump. They include efforts to put Trump’s face on commemorative coins, his signature on bills and his face on a special passport.
Other artists who’ve also dropped out of the anniversary event include American country singer Martina McBride and the funk and soul group the Commodores.
WATCH | Questions swirl around 250th anniversary celebrations in U.S.:
From cash to passports to a UFC fight on U.S. President Donald Trump’s birthday, plans for the 250th anniversary of America’s independence are raising one question: who is the celebration really for? (Photo credits: The Canadian Press, Reuters, Adobe Stock, Getty Images)
