Five of the nine artists announced for the ‘Freedom 250’ concert series on the National Lawn in Washington DC, have pulled out of the event within roughly 48 hours of the lineup being unveiled, amid growing controversy around the Donald Trump-backed celebrations.

The latest to withdraw was rocker Bret Michaels of Poison fame, who cited the increasingly “divisive” nature of the event and concerns over threats directed at him and those around him.

“When this opportunity was originally presented to my team, it was described as a celebration of our country through music and a chance to honor our veterans, active military, first responders, teachers and hardworking Americans from all walks of life,” Michaels said in a statement posted on social media.

“As the son of a veteran, and coming from a family that has proudly served, that is something I have always been honored to support.”

“Unfortunately, what was presented to us as a celebration of our country has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of. Concerns have also been raised regarding the safety of my fans, band, crew, family and myself, including threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable. Because of that, I have made the difficult decision to step away from this performance,” he added.

“This isn’t about politics. It’s about staying true to what I’ve always believed in. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. That’s one of the freedoms our veterans fought for and something I’ve always respected. But as a father, friend and bandmate, I have to take threats and safety concerns seriously,” Michaels further said.

Michaels joins Morris Day, Young MC, the Commodores and Martina McBride, all of whom have exited the concerts over the last two days.

Of the nine acts originally announced, only Vanilla Ice and Milli Vanilli’s Fab Morvan have publicly confirmed they still intend to perform. C&C Music Factory frontman Freedom Williams has said he remains undecided, while rapper Flo Rida has not yet commented publicly.

The concerts are part of the larger ‘Great American State Fair’ planned on the National Mall as part of the year-long Freedom 250 initiative marking the United States’ 250th anniversary.

Freedom 250 was established by Trump as a public-private partnership to organise celebrations around the country’s semiquincentennial.