Performers keep dropping out of the Trump-linked Freedom 250 concert series

Two-thirds of the announced lineup for the Freedom 250 concert series have dropped out, with most artists citing concerns about being tied to an event billed as nonpartisan but described by critics as a MAGA celebration. Why it matters: President Trump has promoted the nation's 250th birthday events as a grand patriotic affair, but the withdrawals underscore artists' fears of alienating fans amid partisan divides . Six scheduled performers — Morris Day, Young MC, Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, Milli Vanilli and The Commodores — have withdrawn since the concert lineup was announced Wednesday. C+C Music Factory, Vanilla Ice and Flo Rida remain scheduled to perform. What they're saying: Michaels, McBride and Young MC all cited issues with how the event was presented to them, with McBride going so far as to say the "event ....turned out to be misleading." Michaels, who withdrew on Friday, said "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." Young MC said he would not participate because "despite the claims by the organizers that the event is non-partisan, SPIN magazine describes it as Trump-backed." Day also chimed in on Wednesday, writing on Instagram, "It's A No For Me😎." Catch up quick: The concert series host, Freedom 250 , was born out of an initiative the Trump administration announced shortly after taking office. The links to the Trump administration have resulted in swift backlash and encouraged critics on social media to claim the celebration is partisan and cheer artists when they drop out. Organizers told Axios in an emailed statement that Freedom 250 is a nonpartisan nonprofit hoping to bring together "all 50 states and 6 territories," adding that every state's governor has been invited to attend. Despite that mission, the organizers have already carried out some events — such as a mostly-Christian religious service th...

Original source: Axios