Rock musician Sammy Hagar defended his planned performance at the Freedom 250 celebration in Washington D.C. after social media users criticized him online. The event, backed by the Trump White House, was cut short due to thunderstorms and rain that forced an evacuation.

Hagar, formerly of Van Halen, was set to be a surprise performer at the Independence Day event. However, when news of his appearance surfaced, some social media users accused him of aligning with the Trump administration, as reported by Ultimate Classic Rock.

In response, Hagar characterized the event as apolitical, stating, “This is not a political thing. This is the celebration of our country’s birthday no matter who the president is.” Negative comments intensified after Hagar posted a video of his Freedom 250 rehearsal on July 2, with one commenter calling it “the most tone deaf thing you’ve ever done,” according to USA Today.

Following the event's cancellation, Hagar shared on Instagram an image of the handwritten speech he had planned to deliver during his performance. Other scheduled acts, including Southern Rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd and rapper Vanilla Ice, also had their sets rained out, according to Ultimate Classic Rock and Variety.

Sources