Trump declares himself headliner for America’s 250th Independence Day: ‘No. 1 attraction’

According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump spoke with his advisers after arriving at Sterling’s private golf club and appointed himself to headline the bash, virginiaSaturday.

“I’m thinking of taking this #1 attraction anywhere in the world, he has bigger audiences than Elvis Presley did in his prime, and he doesn’t have a guitar,” the president wrote of himself on social media.

Trump said he would give a major speech at the event and said “only great patriots” would be invited to attend.

The event, known as the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, will run for more than two weeks starting in late June. Earlier this week, organizers announced the fair would feature a 110-foot-tall Ferris wheel and performances by music stars including country singer Martina McBride and rocker Bret Michaels.

Within days of the announcement, McBride, Michaels and many other performers dropped out, saying they had no idea it was a political event.

“Unfortunately, a celebration for our country has turned into something more divisive,” Michaels said on social media. “Concerns have also been expressed for the safety of my fans, band, crew, family and myself.”

In his Truth Society post on Saturday, Trump called the withdrawing performers “highly paid, third-rate ‘artists'” and said his speech would unite “the country forward, just like it has done since I’ve been president!”

The Great American State Fair is planned by Freedom 250, a Trump-aligned organization. Critics say it caters to MAGA fans. Freedom 250 claims these events are non-partisan, but this claim is subject to much debate.

Another group, America250, was established by Congress as a bipartisan initiative and is hosting its own events, including a New Year’s Eve-like ball drop in New York’s Times Square.

Freedom 250 said in a statement that Trump is now the show’s headliner.

In addition to the U.S. State Fair, Trump administration A Freedom 250 Grand Prix IndyCar race has been scheduled on the streets of downtown Washington, D.C., as well as a UFC event on the South Lawn of the White House.

Setbacks for the musical are already occurring in the West Wing, and some officials have said personnel changes may be made as a result of the disruption.

In response to a question about the event, a White House spokesperson referred to a Freedom 250 social media post earlier Saturday, saying the fair would celebrate “the people, traditions, innovation and spirit that make America the greatest country on Earth.”