Country Legend Pulls Out of D.C. Concert Over 'Misleading' Political Ties
Country superstar Martina McBride will not be performing at the Great American State Fair, despite being previously announced on the lineup.
The 59-year-old singer was initially supposed to perform at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. next month to celebrate America's 250th birthday, but she announced this week that she is dropping out of the performance due to the event's unexpected political ties.
The Great American State Fair is a 16-day national expo slated to run between late June and mid-July. It's being put on by Freedom 250, which claims to be a "nonpartisan" organization, though its CEO, Keith Krach, was appointed by Donald Trump, who tasked him with organizing the celebratory event. A statement on Krach's website reads, "I am grateful to President Trump for the opportunity to execute his vision for Freedom 250."
According to McBride, she was previously unaware that the event was affiliated with the Trump administration in any way. She reached out to her fans via social media on Thursday, May 28 to "clear the air" after being announced as part of the lineup. In her post, she clarified: "I will not be performing at the Great American State Fair on June 25."
"I was presented an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading," McBride wrote, assuring her fans that she had "asked lots of questions and was assured this was a nonpartisan event that was meant to celebrate ALL 50 states."
"In my mind I thought it was a great way to celebrate the states and also bring people together in the way that only music can," she continued. "I saw it as just a bigger version of so many state fairs I have performed at over the years, celebrating community and what makes each state special. Sounds fun, right? Wholesome even. Yesterday things started changing and what we were told is, in fact, not what is happening."
McBride also wrote: "I've spent my entire career singing songs about real people with real issues. I've been blessed with the opportunity to be a voice for those who have felt like they didn't have one. It greatly upsets me that any fan who has been moved by my music may now feel like I'm abandoning the meaning behind those songs. I assure you, that is not the case. I appreciate every single fan who has reached out."
McBride isn't the only artist on the lineup to drop out so far, as Morris Day, Young MC and The Commodores have already announced publicly that they will not be performing.
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 8:55 PM.