Carrie Underwood had a swift and graceful reaction to the technical difficulties that interrupted her scheduled performance at Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
The 41-year-old “American Idol” alum was set to sing “America the Beautiful” during the ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, joined by the Armed Forces Chorus and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club. However, a technical glitch left her without any accompaniment.
Underwood’s response to the mishap was caught on camera. In a clip shared on social media, a staff member with a headset informed her of the issue. Underwood, unfazed, was seen asking, “Just sing?” and calmly adding, “I can just sing it.”
“You know the words—help me out here,” she later told the crowd before delivering an a cappella rendition of the patriotic song. Her performance received a warm response, with attendees singing along.
At the conclusion of her performance, Underwood was reassured by former President Joe Biden, who mouthed, “Great job,” before she shook hands with him and President Trump. She also greeted Vice President JD Vance.
The delay—nearly a full minute of silence—was made more awkward when an instrumental track briefly started but then abruptly stopped.
NBC’s Savannah Guthrie addressed the moment during a live broadcast: “There was a pause right before Carrie Underwood was meant to sing. It seems as though there was a problem with the accompaniment that was supposed to play along with her. Spontaneously, she sang a cappella with scattered voices from the audience joining in.”
When asked about the experience, Underwood reflected on the honor of participating in the historic event. “I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the inauguration and be a small part of this historic event,” she said in a statement to The Post. “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.”
Despite her high-profile performance, Underwood has kept her political views private. In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, she stated, “I try to stay far out of politics if possible, at least in public, because nobody wins. Everybody tries to sum everything up and put a bow on it, like it’s black and white. And it’s not like that.”
In addition to Underwood’s rendition of “America the Beautiful,” the inauguration featured performances by Lee Greenwood, who sang “God Bless the USA,” and opera singer Christopher Macchio, who delivered the national anthem.
