Carrie Underwood sang her heart out during the second inauguration of President Donald Trump despite technical difficulties.
The singer, aged 41, sang “America the Beautiful” at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. during the ceremony on Monday, January 20. She was supported by the Armed Forces Chorus and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club, although there was no musical accompaniment.
Initially, there was silence after a few musical notes were played. Underwood waited briefly for a technical issue to be resolved before suggesting that she sing a capella. She then asked the audience to join in if they knew the lyrics.
With the participation of everyone present at the inauguration, she gave a heartfelt rendition of “America the Beautiful.” After her performance, Underwood interacted with Joe Biden, J.D. Vance, and Trump before exiting the stage. She was elegantly dressed in a sleeveless light gray dress with a cowl neck, complemented by a dazzling diamond bracelet and matching earrings.
Other performances at the inauguration included Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” and opera singer Christopher Macchio’s rendition of the national anthem.
A Presidential Inaugural Committee spokesperson confirmed Underwood’s involvement with the ceremony on January 13 after a leaked copy of the program was shared via X.
Underwood spoke out at the time about her decision to participate in the event.
“I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” she said in a statement. “I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”
After Underwood received some backlash for accepting the gig, Whoopi Goldberg defended her during the Tuesday, January 14, episode of The View, noting, “People do what they do for whatever reason.”
“I stand behind her,” Goldberg, 69, continued. “If I believe I have the right to make up my mind to go perform some place, I believe [she has] the same right. I have to support. It doesn’t mean I’m particularly interested. I won’t be watching, but that’s just me.”
The View cohost Sunny Hostin agreed with Goldberg, saying, “I think art is art, and you have a right to perform where you want to perform.”
In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, Underwood opened up about her efforts to keep her political opinions private, noting that she felt “more people try to pin me places politically.”
“I try to stay far out of politics if possible, at least in public, because nobody wins,” she told the outlet at the time. “It’s crazy. Everybody tries to sum everything up and put a bow on it, like it’s black and white. And it’s not like that.”
During Trump’s 2017 inauguration ceremony, The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square performed “America the Beautiful,” while Jackie Evancho sang the national anthem. Prior to being sworn in for the first time, Trump also held a concert at the Lincoln Memorial featuring performances by Greenwood, Toby Keith and 3 Doors Down.
