I love the local Memorial Day parade. I fly the flag on July 4th. I get teary-eyed at the playing of the national anthem. Much as I criticize the United States, I’m proud to be an American and thankful that of all the countries in the world, I was fortunate enough to be born here. For those reasons and more, the 250th Anniversary of the United States of America should be a day of celebration of a nation I love. And yet, much as try, I cannot find it within me, not because of my feelings about my country, but because he’s made it all about him.
AMERICA IS BACK Rally! pic.twitter.com/ZAowKERA12
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 30, 2026
There stands a UFC stage on the White House lawn, paid for by the fees collected from visitors to national parks. Forget whether you consider fighting in an octagon to be an American activity. The claim is that it’s part of the 250th celebration, but instead of happening on July 4th, it will be on June 14th. You’re never going to guess whose birthday that happens to be. At least he’s allowing soldiers to serve as his audience, provided they meet the height and weight requirements necessary for the desired optics.
Musical acts were booked to perform at the Great American State Fair, non-sequitur notwithstanding. One of the acts, perhaps the most appropriate under the circumstances, was Milli Vanilli. Who would have thought the scandalous fraud act, Milli Vanilli, still existed? And yet, the act says no one asked them to perform. But others were asked, and upon realizing what this was about, withdrew.
“I have informed my agents that I will not be performing at the Freedom 250 event,” Young MC, whose real name is Marvin Young, wrote in all capital letters. “The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event.”
Young MC joined Morris Day, frontman of the Prince-affiliated funk-rock band the Time, who wrote that he and the group would not be participating with a short, direct social media post: “It’s a No for Me.”
The fallout continued on Thursday when the funk-soul group the Commodores and the country singer Martina McBride said they would also not participate in the event.
It’s being called “Freedom 250,” but like everything else he touches, it has to be all about him.
“Cancel it,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “We should have a giant MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY, for 250, instead of having overpriced singers, who nobody wants to hear, whose music is boring, and yet who do nothing but complain.”
And what would replace these overpriced, boring musicians that nobody wants to hear?
Calling himself “the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World” and “the man who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime,” Mr. Trump wrote that he should “take the place of these highly paid, Third Rate ‘Artists.’”
It is a quirk of fate that Trump happens to be the president on the nation’s semiquincentennial. He was elected to fix the economy and end the forever wars, and because his opponent was not considered up to the task. But the 250th Anniversary still falls within his administration, like it or not, and the 250th Anniversary of a nation I love despite its failings is something that should be celebrated.
There should be a way in which the people of this nation can remember our founding without it being inextricably sullied by this vulgar, deceitful, narcissistic ignoramus, who is incapable of not making everything about himself. I, for one, want there to be. I, for one, want to celebrate my nation’s semiquincentennial anniversary. I, for one, want this July 4th to be a festive day. And yet, I cannot find a way to celebrate America without it being tainted by Trump. I realize that I should rise above this puny man and not let him steal the joy of the day, but I can’t seem to find a way to do so. It’s not the “yips.” It’s him. He ruined it.
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I think “narcissistic ignoramus” should be “narcissistic ignoranus”, as Trump is both stupid and an asshole.
Letter posted on the internet. There are two sides to a coin. Like it or not, he does make some valid points.
“Dear Brett Michaels,
I read your weak-ass beta boy excuse to why you’re dropping out of the 250th celebration concert. You thought this celebration was going to be about unity?
How cute bro.
(pats your head and gives you a treat)
Unity stopped the moment they labeled half the country “deplorables,” “MAGA extremists,” and domestic terrorists.
Unity stopped when they planted a vegetable at the White House.
Unity stopped when they cheered lawfare against political opponents while ignoring their own scandals.
Unity stopped once they indicted President Trump and tried to assassinate him four times.
Unity stopped the minute they assassinated Charlie Kirk.
Unity is gone Brett.
We are way past that.
We have a better chance of a civil war than we have of unity.
Most of the fans you have left are people like me, not the blue haired pronoun people.
Enjoy irrelevance ya has-been.
In freedom,
Mr. Star-Spangled MAGA”
Looks like somebody’s forgotten about Trump – Term 1. We were so unified then.
In a word, anomie. I have no intention of celebrating what’s going on around me now, nor associating with the sorts of people who would.
Being on the other side of the pond, and working for a US company for 23 years, I find this grandstanding rah-rah stuff quite embarrassing and try to ignore it. Those indulging in it have a tendency to lack gravitas and are not serious people – they just got lucky. America was not built by people like that and is a hell of an achievement of civilization. That, in and of itself, is worth celebrating.
“An emperor’s an entertainer, an empire a super show,” attributed to Nero Augustus. So now overpriced, third-rate entertainers are refusing to show for the Freedom 250 event? So what! All our Augustus need do is “appear and sing to have peace once more in Gaul.” Televised pancration on the South Lawn of the White House? Class. Even Nero couldn’t successfully pull off having gladiatorial spectacle alongside his performance of poetic singing. In fairness to Nero, it has been said that he was sickened by the display of blood sport. Not our Augustus. He loves MMA, and gets bored at the opera.
Let’s cut to the obvious result: put him on Mount Rushmore, with enough food for two days.
You and your clan on this site (Yes, its yours and you can do what you want and shitcan me,) need to stop eating the shit of the NYT and othe MSM and thinking its’s chocolate fudge). You have been brianwashed and there is little hope for Y’all. That was what Project Mockingbird and MK-Ultra were all about. I remeber William Casey (CIA Director at the Time) saying we will know we have succeeded when everything Americans believe is a lie.
People have never sought after the truth in the media but that which feeds their biases and is easily digestible,
Isn’t it time for your Covid booster and to mask two year olds again. That was the last time you shit-canned me, about masking two year olds. You can stop being legends in your own mind.
You are too stupid for Earth. Please find another.
I have been warned to not get in a wrestling match with a pig because you both get dirty and the pig likes it.
[Ed. Note: This is how you thank me for posting that inane nonsense?]
You might be implying that Covid-19 did not put young children at much risk, but this is simply false. In March of 2026 NPR reported that “U.S. infants under 6 months old have COVID hospitalization rates as high as those in people who are 65 to 74 years old, according to a study from September 2024.”
I am late to this party. My wife and I just completed a long road trip through the American West. In so many places, we saw signs for candidates for local tax collector and for local sheriff. Think about it! We live in a country where you can vote for who collects your taxes or who enforces the law locally.
It’s a miracle! In all of history, vanishingly few people have had any choice in their local officals.
That is the country that I will celebrate on the 250th 4th of July.
I recommend celebrating the 4th with a reading of the Declaration of Independence. It’s astounding how many of the grievances against King George III have commonality with grievances against Trump.
Nominating candidates with a chance of winning elections would be a good start.