During his HBO show 'Real Time' on Friday, Bill Maher devoted a significant portion of his monologue to mocking President Trump's Freedom 250 concert series, which is meant to celebrate America's 250th birthday on July 6. The event, held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., has faced a series of embarrassing dropouts from performers.
Maher joked about the announced lineup, which included Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli, Morris Day, and Bret Michaels, saying, 'I think this is very admirable about the president — it shows that he’s concerned for the unemployed.' He also noted the similarity to Trump's 2017 pre-inauguration concert, which featured acts like The Piano Guys and DJ Ravidrums.
Numerous artists have pulled out of the Freedom 250 concert, claiming they were misled about Trump's involvement. Bret Michaels, The Commodores, Young MC, Morris Day and the Time, and the original singers of Milli Vanilli have all withdrawn. Country star Martina McBride tweeted that she was presented with a nonpartisan opportunity that turned out to be misleading.
Maher quipped, 'That’s got to hurt a lot when you can’t close the deal with Milli Vanilli.' Despite the dropouts, Vanilla Ice and Flo Rida are still scheduled to perform at the concert series, which runs from June 25 to July 10.
In another jab, Maher referenced a commemorative $250 bill featuring Trump's face, saying, 'Republicans in Congress are thrilled about it. They can’t wait to carry it in their wallet. What a switcheroo: having Trump’s face next to their ass.'
