Country singer Alexis Wilkins\u2019 rendition of \u201cThe Star-Spangled Banner\u201d hit an unexpected snag when audio issues disrupted her performance at a Brussels Freedom 250 event.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Wilkins, who is dating FBI Director Kash Patel<\/a>, took the stage Sunday to perform the national anthem at the U.S. Embassy\u2019s Independence Day celebration in Brussels ahead of the United States\u2019 250th birthday<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Her performance was briefly derailed when a technical glitch cut out her microphone, forcing her to restart the national anthem. Footage recorded by Politico reporter Gerardo Fortuna showed Wilkins continuing her performance as thousands of spectators looked on.<\/p>\n Wilkins also performed<\/a> at the Freedom 250 opening ceremony on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.<\/a>, last week after country singer Martina McBride and other headliners for the Great American State Fair<\/a> withdrew from the lineup.<\/p>\n Little (well, actually huge) technical hitch with the microphone of Alexis Wilkins not working on The Star-Spangled Banner. Someone behind me: “Maybe that’s the karaoke version\u2026” pic.twitter.com\/Gpq6rE1jx6<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Gerardo Fortuna (@gerardofortuna) June 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n McBride withdrew her performance, saying she was misled about the nature of the event. \u201cI was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading,\u201d McBride said<\/a> in a post on X.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Shortly after, Wilkins announced the news of her performance on X, saying<\/a>, \u201cWhat a great honor to be a part of the 250th birthday of this great nation.\u201d<\/p>\n PENNSYLVANIA JOINING GREAT AMERICAN STATE FAIR AFTER BIPARTISAN EFFORT QUESTIONS JOSH SHAPIRO\u2019S REASONS FOR SKIPPING<\/a><\/p>\n Wilkins has not publicly responded to her recent microphone glitch in Brussels. However, she did push back against social media critics and allegations of ethics violations related to her performance at the Freedom 250 event.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m no longer accepting false narratives and total sham accusations that diminish my hard work and earned accomplishments, so please expect this kind of response to continue,\u201d she said in a post<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n The Brussels event was the only one of its kind held in Europe<\/a>, with the three U.S. embassies in Brussels coming together to host the show.<\/p>\n