Country singer Alexis Wilkins has fired back at critics after her National Anthem performance at the Freedom 250 Rally in Washington DC on Wednesday, 24 June, triggered a wave of backlash online, with many accusing the 27-year-old of landing the high-profile slot only because she is the girlfriend of FBI director Kash Patel.
The performance at the National Mall formed part of the launch of former President Donald Trump's Great American State Fair and was billed as a patriotic curtain-raiser for celebrations marking the nation's 250th birthday. Wilkins, who has built her brand around small-town Americana and military support, walked out in front of the President's Own United States Marine Band and a crowd of supporters, only to find herself trending for all the wrong reasons within hours.