WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The White House’s troubled bid for a star-studded musical celebration of the 250th anniversary of US independence took yet another hit Friday after three more acts pulled out, citing political tensions.

President Donald Trump’s administration had publicised multiple headliners for a concert series between June 25 and July 10 on the National Mall in Washington.

However, the event is floundering as one act after another withdraws.

On Friday, glam rocker Bret Michaels and country star Martina McBride joined the Commodores and two other groups announcing they would not take part. This left only four of the line-up originally announced on Wednesday intact.

Those include Vanilla Ice, C+C Music Factory, Flo Rida, and the surviving member of the duo Milli Vanilli, who haven’t had a new hit in more than a decade.

Michaels, frontman of 1980s band Poison — of Every Rose Has Its Thorn fame — said Friday on Facebook that he made a “difficult decision to step away from this performance”.

“My shows have never been about politics. They’re about giving people a place to come together, have a great time and forget about life’s stresses for a few hours,” he said.

“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.”

“Freedom 250” celebration organisers say they are nonpartisan, but Trump has openly tried to stamp his mark on this summer’s anniversary — most notably by staging an ultra-violent mixed marital arts fight in a specially constructed arena on the White House lawn on June 14 — his 80th birthday.

Award-winning country singer McBride announced she too will not be performing at the “Great American State Fair” next month.

“I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading,” she told her fans in a post on X.

They join several other acts abandoning the program or dismissing rumours they would perform: rapper Young MC, best known for 1989’s smash hit Bust a Move; Musician Morris Day and the Time, who once collaborated with Prince; and Grammy-winning soul group Commodores.

“The Commodores will not be performing” at the event, the band posted late Thursday on Instagram. “We support the betterment of all Americans.”

With artists fleeing, the Democratic Party on Friday trolled Trump’s event, posting an image of the nine announced performers, with Xs over the five cancelled acts.

By contrast, on Wednesday night the nation’s capital hosted singer Bruce Springsteen, a fierce Trump opponent, who announced he would return to the Washington area on October 3 for the Power to the People Festival.

That show will include Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, Joan Baez, Public Enemy, and other top-billing acts.