Two artists billed for the Great American State Fair in Washington this summer have publicly denied any involvement: Morris Day & The Time and Young MC, raising questions about the accuracy of an announced roster for the White House-backed event.
Morris Day posted on Instagram Wednesday: "Contrary to rumor, Morris Day & The Time will not perform at the event." On the same day Young MC wrote on Facebook, "I HAVE INFORMED MY AGENTS THAT I WILL NOT BE PERFORMING AT THE FREEDOM 250 EVENT. The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event."
The withdrawals matter because the fair is scheduled to run for 16 days on the National Mall, from June 25 to July 10, and because Freedom 250 unveiled its first wave of performers this week. The announced slate included longtime acts such as the Commodores, Flo Rida and Martina McBride, while I Love the 90s concerts on June 26 were listed to feature Milli Vanilli and Vanilla Ice; Morris Day was listed for June 27.
Freedom 250, the White House initiative driving programming for America’s 250th anniversary, announced the lineup on Wednesday. The organization describes itself as leading the celebration of the nation's 250th birthday. Trump launched Freedom 250 late last year and appointed Keith Krach as the organization's CEO.
The contradiction between the announced lineup and what artists are saying surfaced quickly. Freedom 250 said Milli Vanilli was part of the announced lineup, but Jodie Rocco told The, "My sister and I were shocked to see our name, 'Milli Vanilli', as one of the performers" and said neither she, her sister Linda Rocco, nor any of the other Milli Vanilli members had been asked to come. Freedom Williams said in an Instagram video, "I was not told that the show was affiliated with President Donald Trump." A Freedom 250 spokesperson did not immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment.
Young MC framed his withdrawal as a reaction to political association. He added, "I hope to perform in D.C. in the near future at an event that is not so politically charged." By contrast, a representative for Vanilla Ice released a statement saying, "He is proud to help celebrate America's 250th Anniversary!" and "Everyone is welcome to attend and celebrate USA's Birthday and our Freedom!"
The gap between Freedom 250's announcements and what performers say they were asked to do is the week's central tension. Freedom 250 announced a first wave of performers; several artists say they were never contacted or have declined once they learned of the event's political links. That friction cuts to the event's credibility as it tries to present a national celebration tied to a White House initiative.
What happens next is immediate and concrete: the Great American State Fair opens June 25. Organizers must reconcile the public denials with the bill they released, and the question of who is actually contracted to appear will shape public reaction in the run-up to the 16-day festival. As of Thursday, key names on the announced lineup have distanced themselves and Freedom 250 had not answered requests to clear up the discrepancies, leaving the lineup in doubt and the event's promotional claims unsettled.
