Multiple artists drop out of Trump-linked Freedom 250 concerts

Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, Young MC and other headline acts withdrew from the Freedom 250 concert series after saying they were misled about the show's ties to President Donald Trump. Freedom 250 announced its first lineup for the Great American State Fair, a centerpiece of the nationwide 250th anniversary celebrations, only hours before the pullouts. President Trump urged canceling the Freedom 250 concerts and said he would take the artists' places and headline the Great American State Fair, claiming he draws "larger audiences than Elvis." The withdrawals leave the fair's music program in limbo and could force organizers to rework high-profile 250th anniversary programming.