US President Donald Trump has suggested replacing a planned concert series marking the United States’ 250th anniversary with a political-style rally after a string of performers withdrew from the event amid growing controversy.The concerts were scheduled to form part of the “Great American State Fair”, a 16-day celebration running from June 25 to July 10 on Washington’s National Mall. Organised by the Freedom 250 group, the event was intended to feature concerts, state pavilions, exhibitions and other attractions as part of nationwide commemorations of the country’s semiquincentennial.However, the musical programme has been thrown into doubt after several artists pulled out. On Friday, rock singer Bret Michaels became the latest performer to withdraw, joining country star Martina McBride, soul group the Commodores and other acts that have distanced themselves from the event.In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump indicated that the concert series could be scrapped altogether if more artists continue to leave the line-up. Instead, he proposed holding a large rally on the National Mall centred around his own appearance.“The fact is that I am, according to many, the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World,” Trump wrote. He went on to claim that he attracts “much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime” and “does so without a guitar.”The president added that he was “ordering my Representatives to look at the feasibility of doing an AMERICA IS BACK Rally.”The withdrawals have raised questions about the viability of the concerts. Michaels said his decision was based on concerns that the event had become politically divisive.“My shows have never been about politics. They're about giving people a place to come together, have a great time and forget about life's stresses for a few hours,” he wrote on Facebook.“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.”McBride voiced similar concerns, saying on X that she had been invited to participate in what she believed would be a “nonpartisan event”, but that the reality had proved different.Freedom 250 describes itself as a nonpartisan public-private partnership working alongside a White House task force established by Trump to coordinate the anniversary celebrations. It remains unclear whether organisers will seek replacement performers or seriously consider Trump’s proposal to substitute the concerts with a rally.