Country star Carrie Underwood has sparked backlash after a Presidential Inaugural Committee spokesperson confirmed she agreed to perform at President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration next week.
According to the spokesperson, Underwood will be singing "America the Beautiful" and will be joined by the Armed Forces Choir and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club during the swearing-in ceremony for Trump and J.D. Vance, the vice present-elect.
Underwood, who shot to fame after winning American Idol in 2005 and is best known for the hit songs "Before He Cheats" and "Jesus, Take the Wheel," released a statement explaining her decision:
"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."
“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.”
Underwood quickly faced online criticism after the news broke, with one social media user highlighting the irony of her agreeing to perform at the inauguration of a man associated with white nationalist ideologies.
They pointed out that this stance contrasts with the themes of The Sound of Music, in which she starred in a 2013 production. The beloved musical concludes with the main characters escaping the Nazis after Austria's annexation.
Many have condemned her decision and mocked her in response.
Underwood has largely kept her political views private, at one point telling The Guardian that she tries "to stay far out of politics if possible, at least in public, because nobody wins" and that it's "crazy" that "everybody tries to sum everything up and put a bow on it, like it’s black and white. And it’s not like that."
She and her husband, the former professional ice hockey center Mike Fisher, are devout evangelical Christians. After Trump won November's election, data showed he once again won the support of about 8 in 10 white evangelical Christian voters, repeating similar margins of support that he received in 2020.
