Zac Brown sang the national anthem alongside the United States Marine Band on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14, opening UFC Freedom 250. As the country star performed, the crowd was still filling in after a weather delay. It is the first major sporting event held at the White House.
The Zac Brown Band frontman took the stage ahead of the night’s main fight card, part of a celebration tied to President Donald Trump‘s 80th birthday, Flag Day and the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Brown landed the spot after a wave of backlash. Several artists walked away from the Freedom 250 concert lineup over the event’s politics, including Bret Michaels and Martina McBride. Brown stayed.
He defended the decision days earlier on The Pat McAfee Show.
“This is patriotism, not politics for me,” Brown said, telling McAfee he was there to honor the country and the roughly 8,000 active service members expected to attend.
