Trump threatens to cancel bicentennial parties

US President Donald Trump's statements about the possibility of cancelling concerts to be held within the activities of the "Great Exhibition of the United States of America" have sparked a wide debate, especially after he described himself as the "number one attraction in the world." These parties were to form a central part of the 250th anniversary celebrations of the founding of America, which will span 16 days from June 25 until July 10, 2026. The exhibition organized by a group Freedom 250 will cover the National Mall from the Capitol to the Washington Monument. The concert program has seen back-to-back withdrawals, most recently by Brett Michaels, the lead singer of Poison, who justified his decision that the event was no longer a politically unbiased celebration as expected. This withdrawal raised the number of artists withdrawing to five out of seven. Trump responded to these withdrawals via his platform Truth Social, where he criticized what he called“high-paying third-rate artists,” asserting that he enjoyed the popularity of singer Elvis Presley at the height of his glory. The US president announced that he had instructed his aides to assess the possibility of organizing the "America is Back" gathering as an alternative to concerts, noting that his speech would be more attractive than any art show. However, Trump did not specify the exact timing of this proposed gathering or the details of Events to be replaced.