‘Huge honor’: Vanilla Ice says patriotic concert is made to ‘unite’
Vanilla Ice, Rob Van Winkle, discusses his decision to perform at the Great American State Fair to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. He describes the origin of his stage name and emphasizes his patriotism, honoring military, Navy, Air Force, Marines, police, EMS, and firefighters. He highlights the event’s unity over politics.
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As the United States prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the America 250 celebration has become both a massive patriotic showcase and, at times, the center of controversy as some artists backed out of scheduled performances.
But rapper and entertainer Vanilla Ice is standing his ground — and making it clear why he chose to stay in the lineup.
During an appearance on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle,” Vanilla Ice, born Robert Matthew Van Winkle, said he decided to move forward with the National Mall performance, which was ultimately canceled due to inclement weather, despite other artists backing out.
VANILLA ICE REFUSES TO QUIT FREEDOM 250 CONCERT, SAYS HE WON’T LET ANYONE TELL HIM HE ‘CAN’T BE PROUD’
Vanilla Ice did not back down on his commitment to perform at the Great American State Fair despite a wave of criticism. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
Vanilla Ice emphasized that the event is about unity, not division.
“Well, I can only speak for myself, and this is a huge honor for me to come here and play this event for the birthday of our country, man, that I grew up in, you know?” he told Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo.
WATCH: VANILLA ICE SAYS PATRIOTIC CONCERT IS MADE TO ‘UNITE’
“It’s called the United States, and this event is made to be united, to unite us. And that’s what this is about, you know, not the politics and everything. It’s really about an entertainer coming to entertain all the people of America for the birthday of America.”
Vanilla Ice is “honored” to get to play during the Great American State Fair in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary of independence. (Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
Vanilla Ice made clear his focus is less about controversy and more about tribute.
“I want my fans to come away from this tonight as very entertaining, once-in-a-lifetime thing. Know your history about how we got here, 250 years. And the main focus is on our military, our Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, police, EMS, firefighters and even Space Force.”
He added, “I’m here to honor them and say thank you for getting us here, 250 years, in this greatest country on the planet. And I’m proud to be an American and honored to be part of this event.”
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Vanilla Ice is defending his decision to perform at Freedom 250’s Great American State Fair. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
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The multi-day America 250 program, backed by organizers under the Freedom 250 initiative, will stretch across Washington landmarks from the Capitol to the Washington Monument and feature military flyovers, concerts, food exhibits and state-themed installations.
It’s unclear at this time if Vanilla Ice’s concert will be rescheduled.
Freedom 250, the nonpartisan group helping coordinate the broader America 250 effort, said the fair will feature food, games and historic exhibits. (Freedom 250)
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The “Ice, Ice Baby” singer also took a lighthearted moment during the interview, breaking into dance instruction as he showed Arroyo how to do the Running Man — a moment that underscored the festive tone surrounding the celebration despite the surrounding debate.
The America250 events are scheduled to run through July 10, 2026, with organizers framing the nationwide programming as a historic effort to bring Americans together ahead of the country’s semi-quincentennial anniversary.
