According to recent news reports, country music star Zac Brown speaks up about signing up for Trump’s UFC Freedom 250 event after many celebrities declined the invite.
During the June 10 edition of the Pat McAfee Show, Zac Brown defends his decision and explains that he was there for patriotism and not for politics.
“Man, ’m there for the troops, man. I’m there to honor America, this is patriotism, not politics for me,”said Brown at the show.
The vocalist of Thank You for Loving Her will play the national anthem at a UFC event for the first time since September 2001.
Brown, who will also be the main attraction at a fan festival throughout Freedom 250 weekend, emphasized that his only concern is paying tribute to the “8,000 active service members” who are anticipated to attend.
“I mean, screw every division.” Brown told host Pat McAfee, “I don’t believe in that. Adore this nation. I adore everyone who has made sacrifices to enable me to live the American dream, and I believe that everyone in this country has the opportunity to do so if they put in the necessary effort and make wise choices. Therefore, I don’t think it belongs in politics.”
As a “massive UFC fan” who has watched “every single UFC [event] probably multiple times,” Zac Brown expressed his personal excitement for the event.
About the UFC Freedom 250 event
The Trump administration’s plans to commemorate the nation’s 250th birthday include the UFC event. Before headliners Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, and others withdrew owing to concerns over whether the gigs were genuinely nonpartisan, a number of concerts were scheduled to take place under the Freedom 250 banner.
Later, Trump proposed that the concerts be completely canceled and that a MAGA event with music by Lee Greenwood and Christopher Macchio be held in Washington, D.C. on June 24.
However, several of the celebs declined the invitation, according to a Vanity Fair story published last week.
Johnson won’t be present, an insider informed the newspaper. In the meantime, the magazine was informed by representatives of Sandler, Leto, and Lopez that they would not be there.
According to Vanity Fair, a concert series featuring Bret Michaels, Flo Rida, and other celebrities was originally planned to take place on the National Mall. However, it was canceled after nearly all of the acts withdrew.
The president announced that he will conduct a protest in place of the performances in a post on Truth Social on Thursday, June 4.
The Donald Trump family will be there at the commander-in-chief’s historic birthday, even though there aren’t many well-known figures from Hollywood: Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Eric, and Lara will be octagon-side, as the Globe previously reported, according to the New York Post.
The Post was also informed by insiders that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who has been on maternity leave, and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, will attend, along with Donald Trump Jr. and his new wife, Bettina.
Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje will headline the event, which “commemorates the 250th birthday of the United States with a once-in-a-generation celebration of the American fighting spirit,” according to the UFC website.
Edited by Saumeya Mehrotra