Vanilla Ice Baffled by Backlash Over Trump Concert: 'I Don't Get It'
Vanilla Ice, the rapper known as Robert Van Winkle, is scratching his head over the uproar regarding his involvement in President Donald Trump’s “Great American State Fair” concert series. He doesn’t understand why people are offended.
During an appearance on Fox News, he declared his pride in joining the event, which celebrates the country’s 250th anniversary. This comes as numerous artists have pulled out of the 16-day concert series.
“It’s crazy that all the attention is coming down on all this event and everything because I’m honored and just super proud,” he stated. “My mom is proud and everybody I know is like, ‘This is awesome.’ And then there’s some people that are bailing out and all this stuff.”
He questioned the reasoning behind the cancellations, emphasizing, “This will be the greatest concert on the planet. We’re turning 250 years. Let’s celebrate the country that we’re born and raised in.” He added, “What’s wrong with being patriotic? And they said, ‘Oh, because Trump’s putting it on.’”
Trump's controversial history includes launching mass deportations and enforcing a harsh immigration agenda that resulted in significant detentions of children. His administration also initiated an unpopular war on Iran.
Van Winkle continued, “I’m like, ‘So who throws a better party than Trump?’ Man, I’ve been to a lot of them. That guy knows how to throw a real party and they’re classy, they’re great, they’re fun and just over the top — and amazing. So I’m like, ‘Even better.’ So I don’t get it.”
The concert will take place at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., organized by Freedom 250, a group established by Trump through executive order. Additionally, Trump plans to host an Ultimate Fighting Championship event in front of the White House.
Artists who have withdrawn from the concert series claimed it was initially presented as a nonpartisan event. Trump has responded on his Truth Social platform, threatening to replace these “Third Rate ‘Artists’” himself.
He boasted last week about being “the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World ... who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime” and labeled himself “the Greatest President In History (The GOAT!)” while suggesting he might take their “place” with a speech.
The official White House account on X amplified his message with a post stating, “AMERICA IS BACK Rally!”
On Saturday, Van Winkle asserted that those opposing Trump and his concert series are “shaken up on their beliefs, politically,” arguing that entertainers shouldn’t be elevated to such a high status. He suggested that his participation should not be interpreted as an endorsement.
“It’s like a DJ, you can throw it on for any wedding,” he explained to McEnany. “If [former President] Joe Biden is getting married, you can throw it on for him. I’m sure there’s fans over there on that side, too. It’s about coming together, it’s about being American.”
