Trump floats DC rally after artistes ditch US birthday concerts

President Donald Trump is contemplating a "Washington rally" to potentially overshadow the nation's 250th-anniversary celebrations, after a string of artists backed out of planned concerts. Trump, who has openly sought to shape the July 4 holiday events, posted on Truth Social that he was considering bringing "the number one attraction anywhere in the world" to the National Mall. He suggested he could draw larger crowds than Elvis Presley, whom he referred to as "THE GOAT!" and criticized the withdrawing performers as "highly paid, third-rate 'artistes'."

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I understand artistes are getting ‘the yips” about performing. So I am thinking about bringing the number one attraction anywhere in the world, the man who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime… and the man who some say is the greatest president in history (THE GOAT!), DONALD J TRUMP, to take the place of these highly paid, third-rate ‘artistes’.

Several musical acts, including country singer Martina McBride and Bret Michaels of the band Poison, announced their departures from the concert series organized by Freedom 250, a Trump-backed entity. Michaels stated that the event had become "much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of." This marks the latest disruption to the planned festivities, which have already faced criticism for their artistic lineup, featuring performers whose peak fame occurred decades ago.

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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.

The proposed rally, which Trump instructed aides to assess the feasibility of, would be titled "AMERICA IS BACK." The President suggested it would serve to "rallying the country forward." This move comes after a series of events aimed at marking the anniversary, including a mixed martial arts fight held on the White House lawn for Trump's 80th birthday. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions surrounding the politicization of national celebrations.

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I am ordering my people to assess the feasibility of doing an AMERICA IS BACK rally on Wednesday.