Trump headlines rally to launch US 250th anniversary fair

President Donald Trump will headline a political rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, to launch the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations. The evening event, billed as a "Rally to America," will kick off the Great American State Fair, a 16-day exposition on the Mall running from June 25 through July 10.

The rally is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. near the Washington Monument and will feature a military flyover by stealth bombers, performances by military bands, and musical acts including country singer Lee Greenwood and tenor Christopher Macchio. Country singer Alexis Wilkins, the girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel, is also slated to perform. In social media posts, Trump promoted the event as the "biggest rally we've ever had" and a celebration of the country's semiquincentennial.

The event marks a pivot for anniversary festivities that have been reshaped by controversy. Several musicians originally scheduled to perform during the celebrations, including Young MC, Martina McBride, and the Commodores, withdrew from the programming, citing concerns that the event had become politicized. The rally and fair are organized under the White...