Carrie Underwood's Powerful ‘America the Beautiful’ Acapella After Glitch

Carrie Underwood, the country music star and "American Idol" alum, performed at President Trump’s inauguration. However, due to technical difficulties with the music setup, Underwood ended up singing "America the Beautiful" acapella, accompanied by the voices of all attendees at the ceremony. © Chip Somodevilla-Pool via Imagn Images

Underwood's Acapella Unites Crowd After Trump’s Swearing-In

Underwood performed after President Trump was sworn in, delivering a stirring rendition of "America the Beautiful." Originally set to sing alongside the Armed Forces Choir and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club, the unexpected switch to an acapella performance created a powerful and memorable moment as the crowd joined in, elevating the atmosphere of unity and patriotism.

Lee Greenwood, Christopher Macchio, Kid Rock, Jason Aldean, DeGraw, and the Village People are scheduled to perform throughout the inauguration events. @ColtonBlakeX via X

Carrie Underwood's Political Views

Carrie Underwood hasn't been outspoken politically, and her political views have been largely under wraps. In 2019, she told The Guardian, "I try to stay far out of politics if possible, at least in public, because nobody wins.

But many social media users said they were not surprised that the "Jesus, Take The Wheel" singer appeared to lean right politically. However, she has also spoken in support of gay marriage in the past, a stance typically more left-leaning.

Underwood told Rolling Stone in 2016: “I don’t want people to vote for somebody because I told them to. I want them to find out about things that they are passionate about and what’s important to them and look at different candidates and policies. And try to make their own decisions on that. That’s where I stand, and I go and cast my vote like everybody else.” © Briana Sanchez / USA TODAY NETWORK

Fan Backlash for Underwood's Performance

Many fans are disappointed, with social media users going as far as encouraging listeners who are removing Underwood from their playlists.

One user wrote: “If you need another female country artist that actually gives a shit about society and women, I present to you Kacey Musgraves and Maren Morris. Time and time again they explicitly support what’s right and publicly reject racist, homophobic BS.” © George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Celebrities Rush to Support Underwood

While criticism of Underwood's decision to perform across social media, celebrities rushed to show their support. Whoopi Goldberg defended the singer on The View, saying: “If I believe I have the right to make up my mind to go perform someplace, I believe they have the same right.”

Alyssa Farah Griffin, co-host of The View, added, "If you have a problem, you register your complaint by not downloading her songs and not going to her shows. But, I also think from a business standpoint, it's not a bad decision for Carrie Underwood."

Country singer John Rich reshared the X confirmation of Underwood's performance, adding, "THERE SHE IS. :) Carrie is a Patriot." © Library of Congress Life, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Underwood Calls for Unity

In a statement obtained by USA Today, Underwood said, "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 noted feeling "honored" and "humbled" to be part of the historic event.

Calling for unity, Carrie Underwood added, "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." © Kenny Holston-Pool via Imagn Images