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Martina McBride Withdraws From DC’s “Freedom 250” Concert Amid Growing Backlash

Country star Martina McBride has announced her withdrawal from the "Freedom 250" concert series on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., becoming the fourth performer to do so. She cited learning more about the event as the reason for drop

Variety Music·May 29, 2026·via Variety Music

Martina McBride Withdraws From DC’s “Freedom 250” Concert Amid Growing Backlash

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May 28, 2026 6:56pm PT

Martina McBride Becomes Fourth Performer to Withdraw From D.C. Concert Series as Backlash to Trump-Backed ‘Freedom 250’ Grows

By Chris Willman

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Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

ChrisWillman

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Country star Martina McBride has become the latest performer to back out of the upcoming “ Freedom 250 ” concerts on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., posting on her social accounts Thursday night that she was dropping out of her planned show after learning that it carried far more political baggage than she’d realized.

McBride is one of four artists who’ve dropped out of the concert series in the less than two days since it was announced, the others being Morris Day and Young MC , who announced their exits on Wednesday, and the Commodores , who publicly pulled out Thursday afternoon. (A fifth artist, C&C Music Factory frontman Freedom Williams, said Wednesday he was wavering between whether to drop out or fulfill the gig.)