As musicians one after another cancel their participation (or have not agreed to participate at all) in a series of concerts intended to celebrate the 250th anniversary of US independence, President Donald Trump has announced that he does not need musicians anyway, writes the BBC.
Trump wrote on the Truth Social that he does not want to pay unhappy “so-called artists” too much money: “I just want to be around happy people, smart people, successful people and people who know how to win.”
The US president has ordered his representatives to consider the possibility of him himself being part of the 16-day Great American State Fair celebrations planned for June in the capital. While it is not yet clear whether the musicians will actually be replaced by what Trump has called a gigantic Make America Great Again event, it would be another illustration of how the president is making himself the central figure in the US Independence Day celebrations.
Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has repeatedly emphasized that his second term as president comes at a historically significant time – the United States will host the World Cup, the Los Angeles Olympics are planned for 2028, and this year marks the 250th anniversary of US independence.
It is the red-white-blue patriotic holiday that has attracted special interest from the president.
Although Congress established the America 250 committee to oversee the organization of the celebration a decade ago, groups supported by Trump have created the privately funded Freedom 250 committee, which organizes its own events. The current list of events includes a fair, a martial arts competition at the White House, a fitness competition in Orlando, Florida, a car race on the streets of Washington, D.C., and (in Trump’s words) the world’s largest fireworks display on the 4th of July.
Trump regularly promotes his planned events on social media, including posting AI-generated images of himself opening a car race or standing in front of a wrestling ring.
By comparison, the America 250 is more down-to-earth, sponsoring art exhibitions and coordinated celebrations across the country.
Ahead of the celebrations, Trump has focused on “beautification” projects around Washington.
Fountains are being repaired in several places in the city, and Lafayette Park, across from the White House, is currently closed to visitors. The pool between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument is being resurfaced, but there are concerns about the funding and the methods used. The four bronze horse statues at the Memorial Bridge are scheduled to be covered in 23.75-karat gold. Streets in downtown Washington have been resurfaced and lampposts have been repainted.
When it comes to renovations, Trump has often sounded more like a local official than a leader of a major nation, and last week, for example, he spent 20 minutes during a cabinet meeting talking about the improvements. He said he loves construction and the capital looks beautiful.
The Independence Day celebrations have been a concern for the entire Trump administration, and senior advisers and aides have sought to directly link the celebrations to the current president. In March, the U.S. Treasury approved the release of a new commemorative coin featuring Trump standing at a table. Work is also underway on a 250 dollar bill featuring Trump’s face. However, Congressional approval will be required to issue bills featuring a living president. The attempt to issue a banknote with Trump’s face has drawn sharp condemnation from Democrats, while Trump and his administration have said that critics lack patriotism.
As a result, the celebration has turned from a unifying event into another battleground for pariahs, and under Trump’s presidency, American society is more divided than ever.
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