After throwing himself an exclusive, robber baron packed, $60 million dollar UFC birthday party at the White House, Donald Trump is giving Americans the political equivalent of socks on their birthday. The president announced Monday that this year’s July Fourth celebrations — marking the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding — will be headlined by yet another Trump rally.
“On July 4th, at The Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, in beautiful and safe Washington D.C., we are going to host the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all,” Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social, the morning after turning the South Lawn of White House into the site of a bloody, violent spectacle packed will billionaires, right wing influencers, and MAGA government officials.
“More than 300 Members of our strong and talented Military Bands, Orchestras, and Ceremonial Units, will perform Patriotic Melodies and American Classics, and my Playlist (We will have none of those people that put you to sleep and constantly complain!), as we celebrate our Country,” he added. “I will deliver keynote remarks that you will not want to miss.”
The announcement comes shortly after the public implosion of entertainment acts lined up for the “Great American State Fair,” which is scheduled to take place between June 25th and July 10 in Washington D.C. Over the course of the last month, a slew of artists and musicians scheduled to perform at the festivities have withdrawn their participation, citing discomfort with the increasingly Trumpian and hyper-political bend of the festivities. Bret Michaels, Martina McBride, Young MC, The Commodores, and Morris Day are some of the acts that have dropped out.
In response to the exodus of talent, Trump wrote on Truth Social in May that he was instead considering “bringing the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World, the man who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime, and he does so without a guitar, the man who loves our Country more than anyone else, and the man who some say is the Greatest President in History (THE GOAT!), DONALD J. TRUMP, to take the place of these highly paid, Third Rate ‘Artists.’” No one has ever accused him of being humble. He later floated canceling the event outright.
Once again, what should be a communal celebration of 250 years of shared history and American excellence has been reduced down to another episode of the never-ending Trump Show. The president has made participation in shared cultural experiences — whether it be the Knicks playing in the NBA finals or the mourning of beloved American cultural figures. If the president isn’t the center of attention, he doesn’t care for it.