Rapper Vanilla Ice pushed back Friday against critics of his decision to perform at the Freedom 250 Great American State Fair, telling Fox News that the event marking the nation’s 250th birthday was designed to bring Americans together — not divide them — even as a summer storm ultimately canceled his performance before he could take the stage.
In an interview on “The Ingraham Angle” with Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo, the “Ice Ice Baby” hitmaker, born Robert Matthew Van Winkle, said performing at the National Mall celebration was a matter of patriotism, not politics.
“It’s called the United States, and this event is made to be united, to unite us,” he said. “It’s really about an entertainer coming to entertain all the people of America for the birthday of America.”
Mr. Van Winkle was among the last major acts standing at the Great American State Fair after a wave of artists — including Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, Young MC, Morris Day & the Time, the Commodores and C+C Music Factory — withdrew from the lineup over concerns that the Freedom 250 initiative was more closely aligned with the Trump administration than they had been led to believe. Several said they had been assured the event was nonpartisan when they originally agreed to perform.
The rapper made clear he had no such reservations. He said he wanted fans to leave the show having experienced a “once-in-a-lifetime thing” and with a sense of the country’s history, while paying tribute to the military, law enforcement and first responders.
“The main focus is on our military, our Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, police, EMS, firefighters and even Space Force,” he said. “I’m here to honor them and say thank you for getting us here, 250 years, in this greatest country on the planet.”
The show never happened. Organizers canceled the fair for the day on Friday afternoon, citing inclement weather in the Washington area. When the fair reopened Saturday, Mr. Van Winkle’s slot was not rescheduled; the U.S. Army jazz band ensemble took the main stage instead.
The 16-day Great American State Fair, running June 25 through July 10 along landmarks from the Capitol to the Washington Monument, has drawn mixed reviews since its opening. NPR reported that while organizers have insisted the celebration is for all Americans, not all 50 states agreed to participate, and the fair kicked off with a rally headlined by President Trump after the bulk of the musical lineup collapsed.
Despite the washout, Mr. Van Winkle kept a light touch during the Fox News interview, breaking into a demonstration of the Running Man dance for Mr. Arroyo — a moment that captured the festive spirit he said he had hoped to bring to the stage.
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