Zac Brown Defends His UFC Freedom 250 Performance

Zac Brown brushed off the controversy surrounding Freedom 250 celebration events during an interview on The Pat McAfee Show this week.

Brown is booked to sing the national anthem with the United States Marine Band in D.C. before the UFC Freedom 250 event, which will take place on the White House lawn this weekend.

Zac Brown Defends His Decision to Sing at Freedom 250 UFC Event

But the event has garnered some controversy because of its ties to U.S. president Trump and because other stars, such as Martina McBride, have dropped out of Freedom 250 celebrations. Brown tells McAfee that he’s not concerned about anyone criticizing his performance for political reasons.

“Man, I’m here for the troops. I’m here to honor America,” Brown says.

“This is patriotism, not politics,” he continues. “F–k all the division. I don’t believe in that. I love this country. I love all the people that have sacrificed so that I can live my American dream….it doesn’t have a place in politics for me. There’s gonna be, like, 8,000 active service members that are gonna be there.”

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Brown also noted that he’s a longtime UFC superfan who has watches “every single UFC probably multiple times.”

“And it’s history, man. Getting to be a part of American history. Having the first sporting event that’s on the lawn of the White House. It’s an honor,” he adds.

Why Is the UFC Freedom 250 Event So Controversial?

This summer’s Freedom 250 celebrations for America’s 250th birthday have picked up controversy in general, due to their association with President Trump’s Freedom 250 organization.

Late in May, Martina McBride was among many other artists who dropped out of the Great American State Fair. She said she felt misled over the organization’s political ties, and didn’t want her fans to view her participation as a partisan statement.

The lineup for the Great American State Fair crumbled. The bulk of its artists dropped out, followed by four states that were set to participate. Trump himself is now set to headline.

Read More: Trump Slams Artists Who Dropped Out of the Great American State Fair

Specifically, the UFC Freedom 250 event has drawn criticism because UFC CEO Dana White is a longtime friend and ally of Trump’s. Critics speculate that the event is intended as a celebration of Trump’s 80th birthday, which is on the same day (June 14.)

A lawsuit filed this month against the National Parks Service and the Department of the Interior seeks to stop the event via emergency injunction, saying organizers failed to adhere to federal permitting rules and environmental reviews, per Fox News.

Planning for the event involved the construction of a 4,000-seat arena on White House grounds, Forbes reports, and the UFC is expected to spend $60 million on production. The organization is projected to lose about $30 million on the event.

The White House told Forbes in a statement that they plan on “no taxpayer dollars being used outside of what would be applied towards employees’ normal duties and responsibilities.” But the publication also points out that it’s unclear where the cost will fall for things like crowd control, traffic enforcement and the extra law enforcement presence necessary to host a big event.