On the latest episode of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart recounted the drama behind the Freedom 250 concert that he has “so been looking forward to.”
Stewart explained that the live concert series, set to be held in Washington, D.C., has “run into some problems.” Several of the originally-announced performers, including Bret Michaels and Martina McBride, have dropped out citing political concerns. “Damn, they didn’t want to be a part of Donald Trump‘s personal and political concert,” Stewart said. “Is anyone still performing?”
He then cut to a clip of Vanilla Ice expressing his excitement for the concert, which is being held in celebration of America’s 250th birthday. “There you go! See? Everybody dropped out, but not Vanilla Ice,” Stewart exclaimed. “Vanilla Ice didn’t drop out. He saw a problem and, yo, he solved it.”
He added, “And by the way, the other artist who said that they are not bailing is C+C Music Factory, who, as you know, were devastated by globalization and the off-shoring of most of America’s music factories.”
Stewart explained that the group’s frontman, Freedom Williams, had an “interesting take” on the situation. He played a video Williams released of himself sitting on the toilet while addressing the concerns around the event. “Sir, if this is not a good time we can certainly come back and discuss this later,” Stewart replied. “But, look, let’s not focus on where he’s making the video, or his Katniss and Peeta fanfic shirt, or the cottage core wallpaper.”
Williams went on to say, “I don’t give a fuck about Trump. I don’t give a fuck about Trump’s family. I don’t know the n—a. I’m from New York. I know the type of anarchy he creates. But the day I let you motherfuckers tell me what to do is the day I die.”
Stewart noted that Williams’ rant has not been the weirdest thing “about how this concert is coming together.” As it turns out, many of the artists share a booking agent: Jeff Epstein of Universal Attractions.
“Ta-da!” Stewart responded. “What the fuck? Jeff Epstein of Universal Attractions is in charge of—forgive me—recruiting talent for a Donald Trump party? That’s what you’re telling me? In planning our country’s 250th birthday, somebody had to go into Donald Trump’s office and say, ‘I know just the guy?’ How bad do you feel for that guy? After years of being ‘not that Epstein,’ he finally gets all of his acts books. It’s all coming up Epstein. And then the acts collapsed. He finally thought he was going to get his happy ending—but nope. Once again they leave him hanging.”
Over the weekend, Trump offered to perform at the event himself. In a lengthy rant on Truth Social on Saturday, the president wrote, “I understand Artists are getting ‘the yips’ having to do with their performance on Wednesday, so I am thinking about bringing the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World, the man who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime, and he does so without a guitar, the man who loves our Country more than anyone else, and the man who some say is the Greatest President in History (THE GOAT!), DONALD J. TRUMP, to take the place of these highly paid, Third Rate ‘Artists,’ and give a major speech, rallying the Country forward like I have done ever since being President!”
He later suggested the event should just be cancelled. “We should have a giant MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY, for 250, instead of having overpriced singers, who nobody wants to hear, whose music is boring, and yet who do nothing but complain,” he posted on Truth Social late Saturday afternoon. “Cancel it, just like I canceled my involvement with the failing and unsafe to be in Kennedy Center, because a Highly Conflicted, Crooked Federal Judge, said that I should not be allowed to spend my time and money in order to MAKE THE CENTER GREAT AGAIN, actually, far greater than it ever was before!”