US President Donald Trump has called for scrapping a concert series organised by his Freedom 250 initiative and replacing it with a political rally after more than half of the scheduled performers withdrew from the event.

In a post on Truth Social late Saturday, Trump said, “We should have a giant MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY, for 250, instead of having overpriced singers, who nobody wants to hear, whose music is boring, and yet who do nothing but complain.”

The remarks came after five of the nine artists originally announced for the Freedom 250 concert series pulled out within days of the programme being unveiled.

The concerts were scheduled to run from June 25 to July 10 as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Freedom 250, the organisation behind the concert series, was founded by Trump and was responsible for booking the performers.

Earlier on Saturday, Trump had also suggested replacing the artists with himself as the headline attraction at the opening of the Great American State Fair, an event linked to the Freedom 250 celebrations.

“I understand Artists are getting ‘the yips’ having to do with their performance on Wednesday,” Trump wrote on Truth Social before adding, “I am thinking about bringing the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World, the man who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime, and he does so without a guitar, the man who loves our Country more than anyone else, and the man who some say is the Greatest President in History (THE GOAT!), DONALD J. TRUMP, to take the place of these highly paid, Third Rate ‘Artists,’ and give a major speech, rallying the Country forward like I have done ever since being President!”

In a subsequent post, Trump wrote, “Cancel it,” while criticising artists who had withdrawn from the programme and launching a broader attack on the Kennedy Center and a federal judge involved in a separate legal dispute.

He later directed representatives of the organisation to examine the possibility of holding an “AMERICA IS BACK Rally” in Washington instead of the planned concert event.

“So, by copy of this TRUTH, I am ordering my Representatives to look at the feasibility of doing an AMERICA IS BACK Rally on Wednesday, Washington, D.C., same time, same location. Only Great Patriots invited — It will be a Wild and Beautiful Celebration of America!” Trump said.

The Freedom 250 concert series has faced mounting criticism since its announcement on Wednesday. Several artists said they were either misled about the nature of the events or became concerned that the programme had become politically divisive.

Among those who have withdrawn are Morris Day, Bret Michaels, Martina McBride, Young MC and the Commodores.

Two performers — Vanilla Ice and Fab Morvan of Milli Vanilli — have publicly stated they still intend to participate. Freedom Williams of C&C Music Factory has expressed uncertainty, while Flo Rida has not commented publicly.