When Donald Trump was first elected in 2016, his team had a hard time trying to find artists who would commit to perform at the inauguration. This time around, he’s having a far more welcoming transition to the White House — including from some in the entertainment industry.
On Monday, country pop star Carrie Underwood announced in a statement that she will be performing at Trump’s inauguration next week.
“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 former “American Idol” winner said. “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.”
The Village People, the disco group whose hit songs “Y.M.C.A.” and “Macho Man” are some of Trump’s favorites, are also scheduled to perform at various inaugural events, the group’s lead singer, Victor Willis, wrote on Facebook.
“We know this wont make some of you happy to hear however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics,” Willis wrote, noting that “Y.M.C.A.” is a “global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost.”
Among the events where the group is set to perform is Turning Point USA’s inaugural eve ball, which Vice President-elect JD Vance and Donald Trump Jr. will attend, according to the event website.
Country singer Lee Greenwood and opera singer Christopher Macchio, both of whom have openly supported Trump, are also scheduled to perform. That Underwood and the Village People — musical artists who have gained mainstream success — have agreed to perform at Trump’s inauguration is a marked contrast from eight years ago. Back then, a string of artists were quick to publicly rebut speculation that they would be participating in the events, some of whom expressed their disdain for Trump. The current artists’ statements, which emphasize national unity, are also notable given Trump’s long-standing threats to prosecute and target those whose political ideologies and motivations differ from his. Although Trump remains persona non grata among many people in the entertainment industry, some of them, it seems, may have had a change of heart — or at least are now willing to be associated with him. And they’re not the only ones: Tech and business leaders have been scrambling to visit Trump in person, and many have made $1 million donations to his inaugural committee.
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.
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