Kimmel Mocks Trump Over 2-Thirds Festival Dropouts, Revives 2017 Melania Photo

3 articles · Updated · The Daily Beast · Jun 2

Jimmy Kimmel used Donald Trump’s own Truth Social rant to ridicule the president after roughly two-thirds of the Freedom 250 concert lineup dropped out.
Trump, 79, said he wanted only “Happy People, Smart People, Successful People” around him after artists distanced themselves from the late June-early July National Mall event.
A 2017 Capitol Hill photo of Melania Trump looking unsmiling became Kimmel’s punchline, as he contrasted Trump’s demand for “happy people” with the first lady’s expression.
The dropouts hit the Great American State Fair concert organized by Freedom 250, with performers saying they never agreed to appear or leaving after learning of the group’s MAGA ties.
Kimmel framed the backlash as another sign of political and cultural trouble for Trump 16 months into his second term, joking he is now “at war with Iran and Milli Vanilli.”