Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended the funding structure and stated purpose of a Washington concert series planned for the United States’ 250th anniversary during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. Burgum declined to commit to publicly identifying the donors backing the event and brushed off questions regarding whether the celebration had shifted toward partisan politics.
“I can’t weigh into the politics of musicians because some musicians want to play music for everybody,” Burgum told host Dana Bash. “And some musicians seem to have segmented their audiences the same way politicians have.” When Bash noted that several performers withdrew after being told the event would be apolitical, Burgum maintained that “Freedom 250 and the celebration of 250 is a non partisan event.” He added, “It’s not about the transparency of the donors. This is about Americans celebrating the 250th anniversary.”
The interview followed a rapid wave of cancellations from the summer concert lineup. At least seven of nine announced artists backed out of their scheduled performances, stating they were misinformed by organizers about the nonpartisan nature of the gathering. The roster of withdrawn performers included the Commodores, C+C Music Factory, Martina McBride and Milli Vanilli.
President Donald Trump addressed the artist walkouts on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, suggesting he personally step into the lineup. “I understand Artists are getting ‘the yips’ having to do with their performance on Wednesday,” Trump wrote. He directed administration representatives to evaluate “the feasibility of doing an AMERICA IS BACK Rally on Wednesday, Washington, DC, same time, same location.” In a subsequent post, he called for a “giant MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY, for 250, instead of having overpriced singers.”
During the Sunday interview, Burgum also defended contractors who received no-bid agreements to update the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool ahead of the anniversary festivities, citing their work on the project amid public scrutiny over profit margins.
Burgum touched on federal cultural institutions, noting that the administration may appeal a judge’s recent order requiring Donald Trump’s name to be removed from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He did not specify the timeline for the potential legal challenge.