Bret Michaels Is Fifth Act to Pull Out of ‘Freedom 250’ in D.C., Citing ‘Threats and Safety Concerns’ as Trump-Backed Shows ‘Evolved Into Something Divisive’

As Kris Kristofferson might have put it, “Freedom 250” is just another word for a festival with very few acts left to lose. As of Friday morning, five out of nine artists announced roughly 48 hours earlier for the “Freedom 250” concerts on the National Lawn in Washington, D.C. have officially declared their intentions to back out of the gigs, which were set up by a private/public partnership founded by Donald J. Trump.

The fifth and latest to declare he was pulling out was rocker Bret Michaels, of Poison fame, whose exit statement essentially said that the atmosphere around the show had been poisoned, and that he was unnerved by threats that were coming in over the controversial festival.

“When this opportunity was originally presented to my team, it was described as a celebration of our country through music and a chance to honour our veterans, active military, first responders, teachers and hardworking Americans from all walks of life,” Michaels said in a statement posted to social media. “As the son of a veteran, and coming from a family that has proudly served, that is something I have always been honoured to support.”

He continued: “Unfortunately, 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. Concerns have also been raised regarding the safety of my fans, band, crew, family and myself, including threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable. Because of that, I have made the difficult decision to step away from this performance.”

Michaels asserted that “this isn’t about politics. It’s about staying true to what I’ve always believed in. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. That’s one of the freedoms our veterans fought for and something I’ve always respected. But as a father, friend and bandmate, I have to take threats and safety concerns seriously.” (Scroll down to read the full content of Michaels’ message.)

With his departure, Michaels joins Morris Day, Young MC, the Commodores and Martina McBride on the list of those doing quick pullouts over the last two days. Only two out of nine acts have publicly declared an intent to go through with the gigs: Vanilla Ice and Milli Vanilli’s Fab Morvan. C&C Music Factory frontman Freedom Williams said he was still uncertain whether he’d go through with thier appearance or not. That leaves only Flo Rida out of the nine who has still not addressed the issue at all.

The divisiveness that Michaels spoke of was fully evident in comments left on his social media posts about the pull-out, with different fans reading different things into the musician’s message, which was nebulous on where he stands on Trump or whether the festival was initially a good idea.

A majority of messages on his posts congratulated Michaels for making the move he did, with many saying they would have had a hard time continuing to listen to his music if he had gone on at a festival that many identify with the president and the MAGA movement. But some disappointed conservative fans pointed out that Michaels’ comments about “threats” were the clearest part of his post, and that his exit might have more to do with that than any disavowal of Trump or his initiatives. .

Some of the conflicting comments on Michaels’ pages: “As a veteran thank you for deciding to not participate. Much respect for you.” “The currrent politics around the celebration are clearly taking away from the 250th. So thanks for making that hard call.” “You’re giving in to the Democrats who wanted you to back down. Shame on you.” “I’m so proud of you!!! Great job on standing up for what is right.” “So disappointed in you that you dropped out to cave to the intolerant as always Left. Your character was tested… and you failed miserably.” “The others who have pulled out simply explained that they were lied to about the actual intention of the gig. There was no need for you to blame safety issues. Just be honest.”

Other comments on Michaels’ pages: “This pleases me. I have tickets to see you this summer, and I actually got on here to sell them when I found out you were performing there. Now I guess I can respect you again because that whole thing is a big goat rodeo that I wouldn’t want to see you be part of.” “It’s totally about politics. Glad you dropped out.” “Being invited to anything by the current administration should immediately be seen as a divisive red flag. How anyone thought otherwise is beyond me.” “Thank you for stepping away from this event! I am the wife of a veteran. This administration is destroying veterans benefits.” “Folding like a cheap lawn chair. Your loss, not ours. Same PR person wrote this for Martina too.”

The concerts, should they continue, are a part of a weeks-long event on the National Mall that is being called the Great American State Fair. It is one of many programs set up by Freedom 250, which was established by Trump as public/private initiative to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday. Critics on the Democratic side of the aisle have charged that Trump founded Freedom 250 so he could wield total control of the nation’s patriotic gatherings this year, making an end run around congressional plans and funding that had already been set in motion for a more independent commemoration of the nation’s semiquincentennial.

Prior to the concert series turning into a public firestorm, the most recent controversy over Freedom 250 involved a religious rally held under that banner at the National Mall May 17, officially dubbed Rededicate 250. There, at what NPR described as “a conservative prayer gathering,” House Speaker Mike Johnson led the crowd in prayer, and administration figures such as Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio and the president himself appeared, with evangelists like Franklin Graham and Paula White-Cain also taking part. More centrist faith groups objected to the event as akin to a MAGA gathering, even though the official language around this and all other Freedom 250 events uses the term “nonpartisan.”

The full text of Bret Michaels’ message:

Hello to all my awesome friends & fans,

I wanted to jump on here real quick and talk about the upcoming Freedom 250 event in Washington, D.C.
When this opportunity was originally presented to my team, it was described as a celebration of our country through music and a chance to honor our veterans, active military, first responders, teachers and hardworking Americans from all walks of life. As the son of a veteran, and coming from a family that has proudly served, that is something I have always been honored to support.

As many of you know, I’ve spent my entire career bringing people together through music, positivity and good vibes. My shows have never been about politics. They’re about giving people a place to come together, have a great time and forget about life’s stresses for a few hours.

Unfortunately, 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. Concerns have also been raised regarding the safety of my fans, band, crew, family and myself, including threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable.

Because of that, I have made the difficult decision to step away from this performance.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about staying true to what I’ve always believed in. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. That’s one of the freedoms our veterans fought for and something I’ve always respected. But as a father, friend and bandmate, I have to take threats and safety concerns seriously.

I believe in our country, in the freedoms we’re afforded, and in the idea that for over 250 years we have gone through both highs and lows together and remained resilient. Music is a universal language that unites us, not divides us. Just like it did when I entertained a record-breaking crowd of over 100,000 at the St. Louis Arch for an Independence Day celebration with people from across the country who came together to honor our freedoms through music. The focus was on the music, the fans and celebrating together.

I will continue to proudly support our veterans, active military members, teachers, first responders and the organizations that serve them, just as I always have.

I also want my amazing fans in Washington, D.C. to know that I love you all, and I fully intend to come back and perform in our nation’s capital under circumstances where the focus can remain on what it should be – the music and the fans.

In the meantime, we’ll keep the Live & Amplified Tour rocking, and I look forward to seeing all of you out on the road soon. This is said with much love, gratitude, and respect.

Your friend,
Bret
(A lead singer with long texting issues)