Rikki Rockett Backs Bret Michaels on Freedom 250 Exit
Poison drummer Rikki Rockett has publicly defended frontman Bret Michaels after Michaels withdrew from a concert tied to Freedom 250’s “Great American State Fair,” a series of events billed around America’s upcoming 250th anniversary and scheduled for late June into early July on Washington, D.C.’s National Mall. Michaels said the booking, initially framed as a patriotic music celebration, had become divisive and that he and his team had raised concerns about safety.
Michaels became the latest act to exit the lineup after Rockett posted he “supports” Michaels’s decision to pull out of the “Freedom 250” event while condemning the personal attacks that followed. Rockett wrote that although he and Michaels “disagree on many fronts,” they still respect one another’s abilities and accomplishments, adding that Michaels’s move “doesn’t make him a coward.”
In his statement, Michaels said the appearance had been presented to his team as a chance to celebrate the country and honour veterans, active military, first responders, teachers and other workers, but later “evolved into something much more divisive” than he agreed to. He also said “threats” had been made that he described as “completely unfounded and unforgivable,” and argued that, as a father and bandmate, he had to take safety issues seriously.
The withdrawals have quickly reshaped the proposed musical lineup, and Michaels was described as the fifth artist to back out after the event’s roster was announced. Alternative Nation previously reported that Michaels cited threats in his decision to ditch the performance, framing the move as separate from partisan politics and more about keeping fans and his team safe.
Freedom 250 was launched last year by President Donald Trump and is led by businessman and former State Department appointee Mr. Keith Krach, who has described the project as a national movement aimed at uniting states and organisations for the anniversary. For now, Rockett’s comments place him firmly in Michaels’s corner on the decision to step away, even as both musicians continue to navigate the fallout from a rapidly polarising booking.
