Carrie Underwood sang her heart out at the second inauguration of the president Donald Trump despite technical difficulties.
The country singer, 41, performed “America the Beautiful” during the ceremony on Monday, January 20, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. She was accompanied by the Armed Forces Choir and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club – but she didn’t make it. I have no musical accompaniment.
After a few musical notes were played, there was silence. Underwood waited a few moments for the technical glitch to be resolved before asking if she should just sing a cappella. “If you know the words, help me here,” she told the audience.
She sang “America the Beautiful” with the help of everyone in attendance at the inauguration. Underwood shook hands with Joe Biden, J.D. Vance and Trump before leaving the stage. She wore a light gray sleeveless dress with a cowl neckline and accessorized with a sparkling diamond bracelet and matching earrings.
Other performances at the inauguration included Lee Greenwood “God Bless the USA” and opera singer That of Christophe Macchio performance of the national anthem.
A spokesperson for the Presidential Inaugural Committee confirmed Underwood’s involvement in the Jan. 13 ceremony after a leaked copy of the program was shared via X.
Undergrowth spoke at the time on his decision to participate in the event.
“I love our country and am honored to have been invited to sing at the inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” she said in a statement. “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.”
After Underwood received backlash for accepting the position, Whoopi Goldberg defended her during the Tuesday, January 14 episode of The viewnoting, “People do what they do for whatever reason. »
“I’m standing behind her,” Goldberg, 69, continued. “If I believe I have the right to decide to go play somewhere, I believe she has the same right. I have to support. That doesn’t mean I’m particularly interested. I won’t watch, but that’s just me.
The view co-host Sunny accommodation agreed with Goldberg, saying, “I think art is art and you have the right to perform wherever you want.” »
In a 2019 interview with The guardianUnderwood spoke about her efforts to keep her political views private, noting that she felt “more people were trying to pin me places politically.”
“I try to stay away from politics if possible, at least in public, because no one wins,” she told the outlet at the time. “It’s crazy. Everyone’s trying to sum it all up and put a bow on it, like it’s black and white. And it’s not like that.
At Trump’s 2017 inauguration ceremony, the Tabernacle Choir of Temple Square performed “America the Beautiful,” while Jackie Evancho sang the national anthem. Before taking the oath of office for the first time, Trump also held a concert at the Lincoln Memorial with performances by Greenwood, Toby Keith and 3 doors down.