Carrie Underwood will be lending her gorgeous vocals to Donald Trump’s second inauguration when she takes the stage at the ceremony on January 20. While many stars reacted to Trump’s first inauguration by denying him of their talents, the controversial politician has hit the jackpot with Underwood, who’s sat at the top of the country charts for two decades since winning “American Idol” in the early aughts. “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,” the star said, according to CNN. “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.”
Her song of choice? “America The Beautiful,” a standard selection for the patriotic event. She’ll be joining the likes of Beyoncé, who belted out the song at Barack Obama’s first inaugural concert. And yet, social media thinks Underwood should actually switch up her song selection to something a little less formal, with a strong underlying message concerning the president-elect’s marriage to Melania Trump. “Someone on B-Sky said that Carrie Underwood should sing ‘Before He Cheats’ at Donald Trump’s inauguration and stare down Melania, and I can’t stop laughing,” tweeted one user on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Carrie Underwood performing at Trump’s inauguration? Guess she’s taking ‘Before He Cheats’ to a whole new level—by serenading the master of political infidelity,” another user shared. Fans are, of course, referring to the long-standing rumors that Donald hasn’t exactly been a model of monogamy during his marriage to Melania.
Of course, the chances of Underwood singing a song about a woman taking a “Louisville slugger” to the headlights of her cheating partner while flanked by Secret Service agents are virtually non-existent. Unfortunately for her, agreeing to sing for Trump at all may end up being just as detrimental to her career.
Fans are not here for Carrie Underwood’s Inauguration Day gig
Carrie Underwood’s inauguration performance may end up putting her in front of one of the largest crowds of her career, but it’s possible the extra exposure might end up having the opposite effect she may have wanted. Since news about the country star’s upcoming appearance at Donald Trump’s inauguration went viral, she’s been met with a mountain of backlash from fans who think Underwood is showing her shady side. “Carrie Underwood is preforming at Trump’s inauguration so I’m blocking her on all apps and boycotting all her music,” posted one fan on X. The post, which has been viewed more than 400,000 times, has racked up nearly 10,000 likes and 2,000 retweets as of this writing.
Although Underwood has yet to formally announce her pending performance on her Instagram account, critics have already taken to her unrelated posts to express their disappointment about her decision. “As a longtime fan that’s been to all of your concerts, including Vegas, I’m heartbroken at your decision to perform next week. I thought you stood for love & acceptance, not hate & judgement,” wrote one fan underneath a post about her garlic crop. Under the same post, another revealed that their mother had withdrawn their previous support for the singer. “My Mom happily voted for you to win American Idol. Now she regrets that decision,” they commented. Meanwhile, another wrote, “I wish I was following you already so I could have unfollowed you.”
In any case, it will be interesting to see what long-term effects Underwood’s alignment with Trump will end up having on her career.
