Lee Greenwood says ‘We have to celebrate America’ ahead of 250th anniversary
The "God Bless the USA" singer told Fox News Digital he was "sorry" other artists had pulled out of the event, which he said would be about patriotism, not politics.
Lee Greenwood is proud to be an American.
The "God Bless the USA" singer told Fox News Digital he’s "very proud" to stand with President Donald Trump this Fourth of July and "flattered and honored" to be part of the country’s 250th anniversary celebration.
"I'm a farm kid from California and music was in my life since I was like 10 or 11, 12 years old," he said. "But it was while I was on tour in the United States, coast to coast, I realized there's so much about America we hadn't heard. So I wrote the song, ‘God Bless the USA,’ and ‘Proud to be an American.’ And now here we are on a 250th anniversary of this great country. I am so flattered and honored to be able to sing about it. And I'll be with the President of the United States in Washington, D.C. more than once."
Lee Greenwood said he's proud to perform in Washington, D.C. this weekend for President Donald Trump's 250th anniversary celebration. (AFP via Getty Images)
Responding to acts having previously pulled out of the event, Greenwood stressed that it shouldn’t be political.
"Well, I'm sorry about that. You know, in this case, there's no politics here," he explained. "This is celebrating America, this wonderful place that we have for 250 years of our republic."'
WATCH: Lee Greenwood says ‘We have to celebrate America’ ahead of 250th anniversary
He said he wouldn’t be thinking in terms of Democrats, Republicans or Independents while he was singing.
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Lee Greenwood introduces President Donald Trump during a rally to kick off the Great American State Fair on the National Mall on June 24, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)
"We have to celebrate America, and I'm sorry they're not going to perform," he continued. "I will stand with our fantastic president, however, on … July 4th in Washington, D.C."
Greenwood said he’s supported Trump "from the very beginning" and he and his wife, Kimberly Payne, who he said was with the Miss USA pageant for almost 30 years, have been friends with the president for a long time.
"I'm just very proud to stand next to the man that I appreciate that runs our country," he said.
Lee Greenwood with President Trump at a campaign rally in October 2024. (Getty Images)
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Asked what lessons from our history future generations should remember, he said: "First of all, people say this country is so divided. Do you not remember the Civil War, the Revolutionary War, of course, Vietnam at a time when we just really had to struggle to find out who we were?"
President Donald Trump arrives in a Freedom250-themed train ahead of a dedication ceremony for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library on Wednesday in North Dakota. (Getty Images)
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But Greenwood said he knows who we are.
"We're the only free country in the world that will take care of everyone else," he said. "And as we approach this 250-year anniversary of our country, there'll be more challenges in the future. But God bless this wonderful place."
