Ingraham says Freedom 250 artist pullouts are turning America’s birthday into a 'political protest'

WASHINGTON, DC: Fox News host Laura Ingraham has launched a sharp critique against musical artists who withdrew from the upcoming Freedom 250 concert series, accusing them of treating America's birthday "like a political protest" as half of the scheduled lineup dropped out. 

More than half of the scheduled acts pulled out of the July 4th National Mall festivities after the lineup for the national milestone celebration was officially unveiled.

Laura Ingraham slams artists for dissing America's birthday

During a recent broadcast of 'The Ingraham Angle', Laura Ingraham criticized the defecting performers for abandoning what she argues should be a unifying celebration of the country's history.

Addressing the mass cancellations from the Freedom 250 concert series, she lamented the shift in the entertainment industry and contrasted today's artists with patriotic figures from past generations.

"Celebrities used to be really cool. They loved the country and would show up for the big events. And for the troops, of course, no matter who the president was," Ingraham stated.

She highlighted legacy acts like Bob Hope and The Beach Boys, who consistently participated in patriotic events regardless of political differences, asserting that modern entertainers are now doing the opposite.

"Rather than lining up to perform for our country on our 250th, now they're out dissing the big day, either due to pressure from the woke mob, or because they just hate Trump more than they'll ever love America," the journalist said. 

In an X (formerly Twitter) post, she wrote, "America’s 250th should be about the troops, the workers, the families, and the generations who built this country. Instead, some performers are treating our nation’s birthday like a political protest. Most Americans still love this country. And they’re tired of being told they shouldn’t."

Artists allege political deception as organizers maintain a nonpartisan stance

The controversy erupted as high-profile performers like country star Martina McBride, the Commodores, and hip-hop artist Young MC withdrew, citing political deception. They claimed their teams were originally assured the concert was a strictly nonpartisan event before reports highlighted Freedom 250's ties to the Trump administration.

Ingraham openly dismissed the reasons provided by the musicians, criticizing them for giving in to public pushback.

"A number of key acts that were set to perform on July 4th have now bowed out, all citing the same kind of lame excuse, variations of wording, that the Freedom 250 concert is somehow too divisive, or too partisan," Ingraham remarked.

Meanwhile, event organizers firmly pushed back against accusations of political manipulation, with spokesperson Rachel Reisner calling Freedom 250 “a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) dedicated to uniting Americans around the nation’s 250th anniversary.”

Bret Michaels cites safety threats while Laura Ingraham warns of negative media campaign

While Ingraham characterized the pullouts as a partisan protest, rocker Bret Michaels introduced a different perspective to the fallout, revealing that he no longer felt comfortable participating in the event because of security reasons. 

"Even the uber-patriotic Brett Michaels. He bowed out, claiming the concert has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be part of. Oh, come on, guys. You're better than that," Ingraham noted.

Michaels, however, clarified that his departure was spurred by outside pressures, citing "threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable" directed toward his fans, crew, and family.

As the semiquincentennial celebrations draw closer, Ingraham warned her viewers to prepare for negative coverage surrounding America's 250th anniversary.

"I fully expect a lot of the commentary that you're gonna hear about our nation's birthday, and about our country, is going to be relentlessly negative," Ingraham expressed. "With the focus on how much America still has to atone for. An accounting of our past wrongs. And, of course, a lot of bemoaning of what they're convinced is ongoing and pervasive racism, xenophobia, and anti-trans hate."

Urging her audience to resist this narrative, she emphasized the importance of teaching the next generation to truly believe in and honor the country’s foundational values.