Carrie Underwood was among the performers at Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration ceremony, which took place at the Rotunda of the United States Capitol on Monday (January 20).
The country superstar’s performance came after Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States and delivered his inauguration speech, beginning his second presidential term.
Technical difficulties delayed Underwood’s performance, forcing the singer to stand for two minutes near the podium before her performance. An early schedule showed that Underwood was scheduled to perform with the United States Naval Academy’s Armed Forces Choir and Glee Club, and that she was initially scheduled to perform just before Trump’s swearing-in.
Instead, Underwood — dressed in a pale-colored dress — performed “America the Beautiful” a cappella. “If you know the words, help me here,” the singer said before her performance, as the audience joined in to sing along.
Prior to her performance, Underwood released a statement regarding her performance, saying, “I love our country and am honored to have been invited to sing at the inauguration and be a small part of this historic event.” I am honored to answer this call at a time when we must all come together in a spirit of unity and look to the future.
Underwood joins a list of artists performing at presidential inauguration events, including Lee Greenwood, the Village People, Nelly, Rascal Flatts, Kid Rock, Gavin DeGraw, Jason Aldean and Parker McCollum.
News of Underwood’s performance at Trump’s inauguration ceremony drew both praise and criticism, with LGBTQ+ fans expressing anger and disappointment at the country singer’s decision to perform during the event. Underwood previously spoke out in favor of same-sex marriage in 2012, before same-sex marriage was legalized in 2015. Members of the LGBTQ+ community have expressed disapproval of the singer for performing at the event, given that Trump campaigned for restrictions. on trans and queer rights in the United States.
Underwood recently revealed the trailer for his upcoming concert special Carrie Underwood: Reflectionwhich highlights his longtime Las Vegas residency. The concert special debuts Friday (January 24), on Disney+ and Hulu. She is scheduled to conclude her tour in Las Vegas on April 12. His most recent country album, 2022’s Jeans & Rhinestonesreached second place on Billboardon the Top Country Albums chart and became his 10th consecutive album to reach the top 10 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
Watch Underwood’s performance here.
