Rock star Sammy Hagar defended his planned performance at the rained-out Freedom 250 celebration in Washington D.C. after social media users blasted him online.
The ex-Van Halen frontman was set to be a surprise performer at the Trump White House-backed Independence Day event until thunderstorms and rain caused an evacuation, forcing the festivities to stop short. But when news of Hagar’s planned appearance broke, some social media users accused the “I Can’t Drive 55” hitmaker of aligning himself with the Trump administration, Ultimate Classic Rock reported.
Hagar responded by defending his involvement and characterizing the event as apolitical.
Sammy Hagar fired back after fans slammed his Freedom 250 involvement: “This is not a political thing. This is the celebration of our country’s birthday no matter who the president is.” His surprise July 4th set in D.C. was rained out. pic.twitter.com/SeIIY1OzNt
— Rock Feed 🎸 (@RockFeedNet) July 6, 2026
The negative comments started rolling in after Hagar posted a video of his Freedom 250 rehearsal on July 2.
“This is the most tone deaf thing you’ve ever done,” one commenter wrote, according to USA Today.
“Anyone who is associated with this fiasco is not someone that I can support. I am very very disappointed in the choice you made,” another posted.
“This is not a political thing!” Hagar wrote in a comment on his own post. “This is the celebration of our country’s birthday no matter who the president is at this time. I sincerely can’t understand why anyone would have a problem with this.”
Following the cancellation, Hagar posted on an update via Instagram to share an image of the handwritten speech he planned to deliver during the performance. (RELATED: ‘Doesn’t Exist Anymore’: Son Of Famous Rockstar Says His Dad’s Band Is Effectively Over)
“Right now we are celebrating our countrys [sic] 250th birthday and right now would be a good time to reunite this country,” the speech began. (RELATED: ‘Come On Motherf*cker’: Sammy Hagar Invites Arch Nemesis David Lee Roth To Join In On Upcoming Tour)
Sammy Hagar first joined Van Halen in July of 1985, replacing David Lee Roth.
A performance by the Southern Rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd was also cancelled due to weather, Ultimate Classic Rock noted, and rapper Vanilla Ice’s set was also rained out, as were other high-profile acts, according to Variety.
In the nights leading up to Freedom 250, Sammy Hagar and his band had performed two shows in Washington D.C., Hagar noted on his X account.
thank you for two wonderful nights at our capital. #washingtondc let’s celebrate 250 years #happybirthday❤️ #america pic.twitter.com/yyu0UcjwiB
— Sammy Hagar (@sammyhagar) June 29, 2026
The next few stops on the road for Hagar and his band, which includes the original Van Halen bass player and backup vocalist Michael Anthony, include a summer run in England followed by a Las Vegas residency starting in September.