Vanilla Ice defends Trump Freedom 250 occasion, says he’d play for Putin: report – Nationwide
After a number of artists dropped out of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Nice American State Honest this week, rapper Vanilla Ice has mentioned he would stay on the lineup.
He informed CBS Information in an interview that his resolution was about celebrating the U.S. 250th anniversary, not politics.
“You must do no matter you’re feeling like doing and categorical your self. That’s what music is,” CBS cited him as saying, including, “I’d go play for anyone. Putin. Whoever. You need — I’d go to Iran. Don’t matter.”
“It’s easy as a pimple for me, there’s nothing to it. It’s the birthday of America,” he informed the U.S. outlet.
“2 hundred and fifty years. It’s not something to do with politics. I don’t know why they’re turning it into politics,” mentioned the rapper, whose actual identify is Robert Van Winkle, earlier than noting that he’s “by no means voted.”
“You’re simply an entertainer. Don’t ever attempt to assume you’re something past that,” he concluded.
In an interview with CNN, he mentioned he had chosen to stay within the lineup as a result of he was “proud to be an American,” and that he was “honoured” to carry out, regardless of “rigidity.”
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“It shouldn’t be that music is dragged into politics,” he mentioned.
World Information reached out to Vanilla Ice’s administration for remark, however didn’t obtain a response.
Bret Michaels, Martina McBride, Younger MC, Morris Day and the Commodores have been among the many scheduled acts who mentioned they might not be showing alongside Vanilla Ice.
Van Winkle informed CBS he understood different artists’ choices to cancel their appearances, saying they might be “scared” of social media criticism.
“For me, I’m simply right here to rejoice the nation I used to be born in,” he mentioned.
The Dallas-born performer shared an Instagram video final week expressing pleasure concerning the upcoming celebration.
“Tremendous honoured to do that live performance with all people,” he mentioned, “we’re going again to the 90s, put your dancing footwear on, you’ll be completely satisfied, belief me,” he mentioned, alongside a caption that reads: “That is to convey us all collectively. I’m uninterested in all of the information channels dividing this nation. We’re all one. This isn’t a political platform. That is celebrating America’s birthday. Nothing too severe simply having fun with some enjoyable, dancing and nice recollections. Hope you guys can be a part of us.”
The 16-day Nice American State Honest is predicted to run from June 25 via July 10.
Freedom 250, which Trump launched late final yr, describes itself as a “nationwide, non-partisan group main the celebration of our Nation’s 250th birthday.”
Trump appointed Keith Krach, who served as an undersecretary of state throughout his first time period, because the group’s CEO.
After listening to of artists backing out, Trump took to social media on Saturday and mentioned he’s contemplating changing a number of the scheduled leisure with an “AMERICA IS BACK Rally” in Washington, D.C., to offer a speech.
“I perceive Artists are getting ‘the yips’ having to do with their efficiency,” he wrote in a submit on Fact Social.
This isn’t the primary occasion of musicians cancelling appearances in protest of or to sidestep affiliation with the U.S. president.
In December, a number of artists cancelled scheduled performances on the Kennedy Heart after the establishment added Trump’s identify to the constructing, together with The Cookers, a jazz group performing collectively for almost 20 years, and saxophone participant Billy Harper who mentioned he “would by no means even think about performing in a venue bearing a reputation (and being managed by the form of board) that represents overt racism and deliberate destruction of African American music and tradition. The identical music I devoted my life to creating and advancing.”
The Kennedy Heart is about to shut after the July Fourth celebrations for a two-year renovation venture proposed by Trump.
— With information from World Information’ Katie Scott
© 2026 World Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
