Martina McBride Under Fire For Dropping Out Of America 250 Concert With Apparent Dig At Trump Admin

Country star Martina McBride is pulling the plug on a major National Mall concert tied to America’s 250th birthday celebration, saying she signed on for what she believed was a nonpartisan event, and then watched it morph into something else.

“I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading,” McBride wrote in an Instagram post Thursday. “I asked lots of questions and was assured this was a nonpartisan event that was meant to celebrate ALL 50 states.”

McBride had been slated to appear at the “Great American State Fair,” a 16-day festival scheduled to run from June 25 through July 10, according to organizers with Freedom 250. The group has been promoting the event as a marquee piece of the semi quincentennial push, with concerts and programming planned on the National Mall.

The “Independence Day” singer said she originally thought the show would feel like a familiar format, a state-fair-style celebration scaled up for the country’s milestone birthday. But, she wrote, “things started changing,” and the final version no longer matched what she believed she agreed to.

McBride framed her decision as personal and professional, pointing to the themes that have anchored her career.

“I’ve spent my entire career singing songs about real people with real issues. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to be a voice for those who have felt like they didn’t have one,” she wrote. “It greatly upsets me that any fan who has been moved by my music may now feel like I’m abandoning the meaning behind those songs.”

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McBride isn’t alone. A handful of other performers have also backed away in recent days as chatter swirled about President Trump’s potential involvement and whether the celebration was turning into a political flashpoint.

Poison front man Bret Michaels said Friday he made the “difficult decision to step away from the performance.”

“Unfortunately, what was presented to us as a celebration of our country has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of,” Michaels wrote.

He also cited safety concerns.

“Concerns have also been raised regarding the safety of my fans, band, crew, family and myself, including threats that are completely unfounded and unforgiveable.”

Rapper Young MC also announced he was out, saying he wanted to return to Washington, D.C., under different circumstances.

“I hope to perform in D.C. in the near future at an event that is not so politically charged,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

Other acts tied to the lineup have moved to create distance as well, including Morris Day and the Time and C+C Music Factory, according to reports. Still, some big names remain on the bill, with rappers Flo Rida and Vanilla Ice still scheduled to perform on the Mall.

Freedom 250 has insisted the fair is not a White House event, despite the blowback and the growing list of artists walking away.

“Freedom 250 is focused on our signature celebrations and events that honor our history and engage all Americans, welcoming all who share our goal of commemorating this milestone in a way that uplifts and unites America,” spokesperson Rachel Reisner told The Hill in a statement.

With weeks to go before the first day of the festival, organizers are now facing a simple problem: the more the lineup changes, the harder it is to sell the idea that the show is staying the same.

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