The United States is getting ready to celebrate its 250th birthday, but planning for the festivities meant to commemorate the milestone appear to be hitting a snag.
“The Great American State Fair” is a series of patriotic programming and entertainment scheduled to take place in late June and early July on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It is being organized by Freedom 250, an organization that was launched by President Donald Trump and is headed by one of his former political appointees, which seems to be part of the controversy.
Earlier this week, the group announced the headliners for a concert. The list of performers was widely panned by both sides of the aisle due to the lack of perceived star power, and, within hours, most of the acts dropped out citing concerns about safety and divisiveness. But is that really the issue?
On Friday’s show, Megyn was joined by Damilare Sonoiki and Stepfanie Tyler to discuss the controversy and the real reason the musicians are canceling their appearance.
The Cancellations
On Wednesday, Freedom 250 revealed that Martina McBride, Young MC, C+C Music Factory, Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli, The Commodores, Morrie Day & The Time, Flo Rida, and Bret Michaels would be performing on the National Mall. By Friday, five of the nine acts had backed out.
Michaels was the latest cancellation, posting a statement on social media about how he was initially unclear about the purpose of the show. “When this opportunity was originally presented to my team, it was described as a celebration of our country through music and a chance to honor our veterans, active military, first responders, teachers and hardworking Americans from all walks of life,” he wrote, in part. “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 Poison frontman went on to say that his decision “isn’t about politics” but rather “staying true to what I’ve always believed in.” He also raised concerns about the “safety of my fans, band, crew, family and myself, including threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable.”
Country music veteran McBride struck a similar tone in her statement announcing she would no longer be participating. “I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading,” she claimed.
The Controversy
While the artists were pressured to back out by leftists on the internet, the backlash to the lineup was bipartisan. “Everyone responded by laughing at it,” Megyn said. “I tried to find somebody defending it. I went to the Republicans I follow on X and, trust me, I follow 1000s of them, and they were all ripping it, too. No one was impressed. It may sound mean, but it’s true… Everyone thought this was kind of a joke.”
Sonoiki agreed. “From an organizational perspective, they could have picked a better lineup, they could have paid people more, they could have announced it closer,” he said. “It seems like it was poorly run.”
Even so, Tyler said it is frustrating to see so many artists bend the knee. “This is a tough one for me because the whole thing seems like a joke. The lineup… is ridiculous as is. And then everybody is pulling out and it’s like, ‘Oh no, all of the washed-up musicians from 2001 and earlier don’t want to do anymore,'” she noted. “[But] I think anybody who caves to either mob… [is] very cowardly. It’s weak.”
In her view, the performers who dropped out citing political reasons are missing an important point. “First of all, you are getting paid to go perform. That’s your job, right? Like, you can’t go do your job? It’s our 250th birthday,” Tyler said. “I feel like these people don’t know you can love America and hate Trump… I used to have crippling TDS [Trump Derangement Syndrome].”
What’s Really Going On
If there genuinely was confusion about the nature of the event or the people behind it, Megyn, Sonoiki and Tyler agreed that should have been made clear from the get go. But Megyn isn’t convinced that is what is actually driving the drop outs.
“There should have been zero doubt left with any of the artists about exactly what they were performing at and what affiliations it had,” she acknowledged. “But I have my own theory, which is I actually don’t think this is fear of a backlash for getting too political or being in favor of Trump. I think they saw the universal reaction to this lineup as, I’m sorry, pathetic… and said, ‘I can’t be a part of that.’”
The political unease, in her view, is just proving to be an easy out. “[I think] everyone was looking at each other thinking… ‘You’re the one they’re talking about when they say it’s lame, not me. And I can’t be associated with you losers,’” Megyn added. “Meanwhile, it’s like, was it? I don’t know, but that’s what’s happening in my view.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Sonoiki and Tyler by tuning in to episode 1,328 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Channel (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.