Trump offers himself as a replacement following the withdrawal of artists from the Freedom 250 and states that he "attracts more audience than Elvis."

Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social network this Saturday a message in which he personally offers to substitute for the artists who have dropped out of the Freedom 250 festival, scheduled for Wednesday in Washington D.C., and claims that he "draws more crowds than Elvis." 

The announcement comes a day after, according to a report by Axios, approximately two-thirds of the artists announced for the Freedom 250 withdrew from the event following the revelation of their political ties to Trump and the MAGA movement.

Trump ordered his representatives to assess the feasibility of organizing a rally called "AMERICA IS BACK" at the same place and time.

Among the artists who withdrew are Morris Day & The Time, Young MC, Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, The Commodores, and the original vocalists associated with Milli Vanilli. Only C+C Music Factory, Vanilla Ice, and Flo Rida remained on the lineup at the time of the report.

Several performers reported being misled about the nature of the event. Martina McBride stated that the festival "turned out to be deceptive," as she understood it to be a nonpartisan celebration. Bret Michaels, for his part, noted that the event became "more divisive" than he agreed to when he joined.

Trump responded in his characteristic style, mocking the artists by saying they have "the yips" — a colloquial expression in sports describing the nervous block under pressure — regarding their performance on Wednesday.

In the message, the president described himself as "the number one attraction anywhere in the world, the man who draws much larger crowds than Elvis at his peak, and he does it without a guitar."

Trump referred to retired artists as "third-rate artists" and "overpaid," stating, "I don’t want the so-called 'artists' who make too much money and are not happy. I just want to be surrounded by happy, smart, successful people who know how to win."

The president also took the opportunity to assert his administration's achievements: "Two years ago, the United States was DEAD. Now we have the most BURNING country in the world."

In closing the message, Trump formalized his proposal: "Through this publication, I order my representatives to study the feasibility of organizing a rally AMERICA IS BACK on Wednesday, in Washington D.C., same place and same time. Only great patriots are invited. It will be a wild and beautiful celebration of America."

The Freedom 250 is part of a 16-day festival called the "Great American State Fair" in Washington D.C., organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States. The White House has scheduled key activities from June 25 to July 10, with a main event on July 4.