Jimmy Kimmel mocks Donald Trump’s Freedom 250: “Coachella for bands that hired their cousin as their tour manager”
Jimmy Kimmel has poked fun at the 250 Freedom concert series, supported by Donald Trump’s administration, after a slew of artists continue to withdraw from the schedule.
The line-up for 250 Freedom was unveiled on May 27th; the organisation behind the event has described itself as a “national, non-partisan organisation leading the celebration of our Nation’s 250th birthday”, despite its MAGA affiliation.
Since the announcement, several artists have withdrawn from the schedule, including Morris Day, Young MC, the Commodores, Martina McBride, Milli Vanilli, and, most recently, Bret Michaels.
When explaining the sudden exit from the lineup, set to take place at the National Mall in Washington Dc from June 27th to July 10th, the majority of artists explained that they were unaware of Freedom 250 being politically affiliated.
Michaels, in particular, 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.”
On May 28th, the late-night host of Jimmy Kimmel Live fired shots at the event, describing the remaining lineup, which includes artists like Flo Rida and Vanilla Ice, as “Coachella for bands that hired their cousin as their tour manager.”
He added cynically, “The listed performers include pop duo Milli Vanilli (one of whom is dead), pop duo C+C Music Factory (another of whom is dead).”
Sarcastically, he continued, “But don’t worry,” Kimmel said. “Bret Michaels, Flo Rida, Vanilla Ice, and the guy from the Cracker Barrel logo tootin’ on the jug are in it, so far. We’ll check back on that tomorrow to see if they’re still in.”
Despite many performers pulling out because of the event’s connection to the divisive president, Freedom Williams, the surviving member of the pop duo C+C Music Factory, recently defended his scheduled performance with a seven-minute Instagram rant.
During the video, he lambasted critics of his upcoming appearance: “You keep pushing me. I’ll do the motherfucking show in North Korea, pissing on the fucking American flag, smoking a Cuban cigar, drinking Venezuelan wine… That’s how much of a shit I give what you think.”
In reaction to the egregious take, Kimmel shared, “I feel like hearing from him only once every 35 years isn’t enough.”
He added, “What a concert this is gonna be. Everything they [the Trump administration] do, they screw up. They cannot do anything.”
Watch Kimmel’s monologue in full below.
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