Old skool rapper Young MC canceled his appearance at America’s 250th Birthday State Fair due to its connection to President Donald Trump. The first lineup of performers went viral on social media this week.
In a post on Facebook, Young MC said he would not be performing at the “politically charged” state fair.
“The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event,” he wrote. “And despite the claims by the organizers that the event is non-partisan, SPIN magazine describes it as Trump-backed. I hope to perform in D.C. in the near future at an event that is not so politically charged.”
Other performers claim they didn’t know The Great American State Fair was organized by the Trump-backed Freedom 250 alliance. They quickly announced their cancellations. The shows are scheduled from June 25 to July 10 on Washington’s National Mall.
The list of performers who cancelled their appearances include Morris Day, Young MC, Milli Vanilli, The Commodores, Martina McBride, and Bret Michaels. Morris Day claims he was never booked to perform in the first place.
“It’s A No For Me,” Morris wrote in a May 27 post on Instagram.
In a statement to USA TODAY, Freedom 250 spokesperson Rachel Reisner said the organization is “dedicated to uniting Americans around the nation’s 250th anniversary.”
She added: “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.”
Singer Jodie Rocco, one of the singers who vocalized Milli Vanilli’s songs, told the AP neither she nor her twin sister, Linda, had been asked to perform at the state fair. “My sister and I were shocked to see our name, ‘Milli Vanilli’ as one of the performers,” Rocco wrote in an email.
The Rocco sisters were among several studio vocalists who sang the original Milli Vanilli songs. It was later revealed that Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus only lip-synced the songs. Pilatus died of an accidental drug overdose in 1998.
The Commodores also will not be performing at the Great American State Fair, according to a social media post. “Our music has always been our voice and we choose not to publicly affiliate with any single political party. We support the betterment of all Americans,” the post reads.
Country musician Martina McBride said she was scheduled to perform on June 25 – until she learned it was not a nonpartisan event. “I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading,” she wrote in a post on X.com.
She continued: “I asked lots of questions and I was assured this was a nonpartisan event that was meant to celebrate ALL 50 states. In my mind I thought this was a great way to celebrate the sates and also bring people together in the way that only music can…”
Martina went on to say it “greatly upsets” her that fans believe she abandoned the meaning behind her songs.
— Martina McBride (@martinamcbride) May 29, 2026