Donald Trump's ambitious Freedom 250 programme was meant to bring star power to Washington this summer, but the Great American State Fair at the National Mall is now losing acts at speed, and online critics are mockingly suggesting conservative personality Erika Kirk should 'save' the show.
The news came after a run of abrupt withdrawals from Freedom 250, the series of events planned to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States.
The Great American State Fair, set for 25 June to 10 July in Washington, D.C., has been advertised as offering 'live entertainment, immersive exhibits, patriotic tributes, innovation showcases, cultural programming, and family-friendly attractions.'
Instead, the spotlight has turned to who is rushing for the exits and who, if anyone, will be left on stage.
Erika Kirk Becomes the Internet's Punchline For Freedom 250
For context, six performers from the 'first wave' announcement on 27 May have already pulled out. Morris Day & The Time, Young MC, C+C Music Factory, The Commodores, Martina McBride and Bret Michaels all distanced themselves from the Freedom 250 fair within days of being named. That initial bill also included Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli and Flo Rida, but by Friday only Flo Rida and Vanilla Ice were still slated to appear.
Into that vacuum stepped the internet. On X, the user Wu Tang is for the Children resurfaced an AI-generated video by The Stoic Plumber, recasting Erika Kirk as a high-octane pop star capable of rescuing Trump's troubled event. In the clip, Kirk, 37, stalks the backstage corridors in a black two-piece suit, her long blonde hair pulled into a half-up style and her face set with almost cartoonish resolve. She crouches on a stage elevator, flashes a quick hand gesture, then rockets upwards into a simulated stadium roar.
Promoters of Trump’s "Great American State Fair" can still save the day by booking Erika Kirk pic.twitter.com/xYhC3Hdy63
— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) May 29, 2026
The digital Erika Kirk hangs in mid-air, drops into an exaggerated split, lands as if she does this every night, then launches into frenetic choreography that bears no resemblance to her real public life. Kirk, known primarily as the widow of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk and a conservative media personality in her own right, is not a touring artist. The satire, however, relies on pretending she is.
Oh, look, the “grieving widow“ in action.🙄
— Diane McCarty (@DianeMc22878491) May 29, 2026
'Promoters of Trump's 'Great American State Fair' can still save the day by booking Erika Kirk,' Wu Tang is for the Children wrote above the video. Replies quickly turned the thread into a running gag. One user quipped that organisers should hand out 'complimentary bobble-neck Chucky Kirk dolls' to the first 200 people through the gates. Another demanded 'more pyrotechnics and Kleenex wafting through the air', adding that the AI version of Erika Kirk 'is not crying enough. More tears and fire!!!!!'
I believe she is still in mourning. Ha,ha,ha.
— jeffersonhairplan. (@Andrew614449) May 29, 2026
Others focused on the shrinking line-up. 'The way it's looking, it's probably gonna be her, Lara, and Vanilla Ice. Star-studded event,' one user wrote. Another suggested, with only partial irony, that Erika Kirk could duet with Lara Trump and send 'the crowd' wild.
Bwahahaha!! Fugging hilarious 🤣 pic.twitter.com/Tl8owh3ker
— Sammi🦋 (@StoriesBySammi) May 29, 2026
Lara Trump, Erika Kirk And The MAGA Music Void
Lara Trump, Eric Trump's wife and a Fox News host, has repeatedly found herself dragged into the Freedom 250 conversation, largely because she has been pushing a parallel career in music. Users on X joked she would inevitably be called in to fill the growing gaps in the schedule. 'Rest those pipes, Lara, they might need you to perform this hit for America's 250th,' one post read. Another concluded bluntly: 'We all know how this ends: Lara Trump on stage.'
— The Bitch Is Back (@KaitlinFish8) May 29, 2026
Lara Trump released a cover of Tom Petty's I Won't Back Down in 2023, followed by original tracks including Anything is Possible, Eyes of God and No Days Off with rapper French Montana. In January she released Shah Shah with Egyptian artist Mohamed Ramadan. Her songs have been met with sustained derision online, with detractors accusing her of leaning heavily on autotune or dismissing her vocals outright.
According to the Washington Examiner, Lara Trump is eyeing a full album release in 2026, and executive producer LJ Fino told Forbes in 2024 that she has already recorded an album's worth of material. Whether any of that work ends up on a Freedom 250 stage is another matter entirely, but for now she and Erika Kirk function mainly as punchlines for critics watching the fair's booking woes.
Artists Say They Were Misled About Freedom 250
Behind the jokes about Erika Kirk and Lara Trump sit more serious grievances from the acts who have walked away. On the official Facebook page for Morris Day & The Time, a terse statement appeared: 'Contrary To Rumor, Morris Day & The Time Will Not Be Performing At The 'GREAT AMERICAN STATE FAIR.' No further explanation was given, but other artists have been more explicit.
Young MC, known for his hit Bust a Move, told fans on Facebook that he had instructed his agents not to proceed with the booking, saying performers 'were never told about any political involvement with the event.' He added that he hoped to return to Washington for a show 'that is not so politically charged.'
Poison frontman Bret Michaels said in an Instagram statement that the pitch he received had framed the event as a unifying celebration. '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,' he wrote.
'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,' Michaels continued. He also raised what he called serious safety concerns, citing 'threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable' towards his fans, band, crew, family and himself. 'Because of that, I have made the difficult decision to step away from this performance.'
Country singer Martina McBride said on 28 May that she too had been misled about the nature of the show and would not perform. C+C Music Factory vocalist Freedom Williams posted a profanity-heavy Instagram video announcing he was out as well, saying he had not been informed of any political connection and complaining about the backlash that followed his inclusion on the bill.
For now, official Freedom 250 materials still strike a note of unity and patriotism, promising fireworks, tributes and family fun on the National Mall. The reality, as it stands, is an event haemorrhaging talent, a booking process under open question, and an online audience treating an AI fantasy of Erika Kirk's mid-air splits as the most coherent plan left on offer.
Nothing about additional performers, replacements or the final line-up has been confirmed yet, so speculation about who might ultimately take the stage, from Erika Kirk to Lara Trump, should be taken with a grain of salt.
