Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has rejected demands to disclose donors for a concert series marking the US's 250th anniversary, after multiple artists withdrew claiming they were misled about the event's non-partisan nature. In an interview on CNN's State of the Union, Burgum described the celebration as 'non-partisan' despite President Donald Trump referring to it as a 'Maga rally'.
Burgum criticised musicians who pulled out, saying they 'seem to have segmented their audiences'. At least seven of nine scheduled acts, including the Commodores and Martina McBride, cancelled after organisers allegedly misrepresented the event's political neutrality. Trump, in a Truth Social post, suggested replacing them with a rally featuring himself as the main attraction.
When pressed on funding transparency, Burgum said: 'It's not about the transparency of the donors. This is about Americans celebrating the 250th anniversary.' He also defended no-bid contracts for updating the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and indicated the administration might appeal a court order to remove Trump's name from the Kennedy Center.
