John Rich Volunteers To Play Freedom 250 Fair After Artist Dropouts
Country musician John Rich has indicated he is willing to perform at a planned Freedom 250 celebration after several artists withdrew from the event.
The comments follow a public push from Representative Tim Burchett, who urged President Donald Trump to bring Rich on board to help lead the musical programme.
Burchett calls for John Rich, Kid Rock and Lee Greenwood
In a video message directed at Trump, Burchett suggested that Rich should help open the event.
"What we ought to do is get your friend and my friend John Rich, a great musician, to lead it off. He's got some great patriotic tunes he's written and he sings," Burchett said.
He also named Kid Rock and Lee Greenwood as additional performers he would like to see involved in the celebrations.
In response, Rich posted on X: Hey@timburchett don't threaten ME with a good time! (Have guitar, will travel:)
Performers withdraw from planned celebrations
As reported by Newsweek, the wider Freedom 250 celebration event, mandated by one of President Donald Trump's executive orders, has faced a series of performer withdrawals in recent weeks.
The 16-day "Great American State Fair" is scheduled to begin in the coming weeks at the National Mall in Washington, DC. The event is expected to include musical performances and themed installations linked to the United States' 250th anniversary commemorations.
John Rich responds online
Following Burchett's remarks, Rich reposted a message on X calling for Trump to contact him, suggesting he could quickly assemble a group of performers.
The post stated that Trump could "have the most badass patriot musicians in Nashville and beyond to put on a 250 celebration for the ages," adding: "LET'S DO THIS."
Rich added alongside the repost: “This is true” and then commented "I'm always happy to help."
Trump suggests he could headline event
In response to the growing uncertainty around the lineup, Trump suggested on Saturday that he may personally headline a rally in Washington, DC.
He said some performers appeared to be getting "the yips" following the withdrawals and criticised what he described as "highly paid, Third Rate ‘Artists'."
Trump also floated the idea of replacing musical acts with what he called "the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World," referring to himself.
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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 5:03 AM.