Vanilla Ice Defends His Spot at Trump's Freedom 250 Festival: ‘Music Has No Political Rules'
It doesn't seem like the recent rash of performers dropping out of Freedom 250's The Great American State Fair is bothering ‘90s rapper Vanilla Ice. The "Ice Ice Baby" hip-hop star is standing by his decision to perform at the event.
Freedom 250 released a list of nostalgic acts slated to headline the 16-day music festival on Washington, D.C.'s National Mall earlier this week. Almost immediately after the announcement, news broke of musicians backing out due to a reported political backlash. Performers such as Young MC, The Commodores, C+C Music Factory, Milli Vanilli, Bret Michaels, and Martina McBride all released statements (some more colorful than others) revealing that they were unaware of the festival's direct connection to President Donald Trump and would not attend.
While the majority of the performers have already bowed out, two musicians are still standing: Flo Rida and Vanilla Ice.
Unlike the other acts, Robert Matthew Van Winkle (a.k.a. Vanilla Ice) doubled down on the appearance, saying (in an Instagram video), "I'm super honored to do this concert with everybody. We're going to bring back the ‘90s, put your dancing shoes on, you'll be happy, trust me, it's all about enjoying the great times of 250 years from George Washington to now, all the presidents and everybody in between."
He continued, "This is a magical event that's gonna happen and very rare. So I'm honored man, this is going to be epic, and that's it. We don't take anything too serious, we're gonna bring the ‘90s… we're gonna turn everybody into a teenager for the night, proud to be an American, and proud and honored for this event."
Along with the clip, Vanilla Ice also added his take on the controversy in the caption, writing, "I'm tired of all the news channels dividing this country. We are all one. This is not a political platform. This is celebrating America's birthday."
While the ‘90s star has performed at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, he also added, "Yeah, ifJoe Bidencalls and says hey I want you to play for my daughter's wedding, I'm going to play. There are fans everywhere. Music has no political rules."
If you're wondering if the performer is a MAGA republican or not, he explains, "We are just entertainers. I don't vote, and I never have, and I always try to bring people together. We are all one. Positivity is the best hope for everything. Love is the answer."
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 7:21 PM.