Carrie Underwood at Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2025 held in Times Square on December 31, 2024, in New York, New York. (Photo by John Nacion/Penske Media via Getty Images) John Nacion via Getty Images
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As Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony approaches, it’s becoming increasingly clear that his second presidential term might be a lot different than his first.
On Monday, Trump will be sworn in for his second term as president. The ceremony comes four years after the infamous Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, when a mob of Trump supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol in an effort to block the certification of the 2020 election.
Things look different this time. The 2024 election count went uncontested in Congress earlier this month, officially certifying Trump’s second win. Compared to the various declarations of resistance we saw eight years ago, there’s much less objection to the incoming Trump 2.0 tide, something made apparent by the president-elect’s inaugural guest list.
Former first lady Michelle Obama will be absent at the ceremony, but several high-profile names are still slated to appear for Trump’s swearing-in.
The biggest among them is country singer Carrie Underwood, who this week confirmed her plans to sing “America the Beautiful” before Trump takes the oath of office. In a statement issued to multiple outlets, the eight-time Grammy winner defended her decision to participate in the ceremony, saying: “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.”
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.”
Underwood’s appearance — and the lack of significant pushback against it — marks a complete 180 from Trump’s 2017 inauguration, when he struggled to book performers willing to support his controversial presidency, according to Vox.
Many people condemned R&B singer Chrisette Michele for performing at Trump’s first ceremony, a decision that ultimately derailed her career despite her hopes to build a “bridge” for the divided nation. Broadway singer Jennifer Holliday might have faced similar career damage had she not pulled out of her scheduled 2017 appearance after receiving death threats and boycott warnings.
So far, none of Trump’s 2025 inauguration performers — which include Billy Ray Cyrus, Kid Rock, Jason Aldean, Village People and reportedly Nelly — have drawn such intense backlash, and they probably never will. The political climate has changed so much over the past year that it seems there’s not much shame these days in being a celebrity who supports Trump.
Despite the overwhelming dread that surrounded the most recent election and the number of stars who picked sides to try to help sway voters, we’ve not seen as much outright panic from public figures about what a second Trump administration will do to the U.S. Perhaps this is because there are fewer harsh feelings toward Trump today than after the 2016 and 2020 elections. Why exactly is that?
Recent polling from the Pew Research Center reported that 53% of American adults approve of Trump’s upcoming plans and policies for the nation, compared to his 39% approval rating in a 2017 Pew study. The 2024 survey also revealed that majorities have expressed confidence in Trump’s ability to make good decisions about economic policy (59%), law enforcement and criminal justice (54%), immigration (53%) and foreign policy (53%).
Progressives naturally still oppose Trump, especially after his disastrous first term, his two impeachments, his various criminal cases and his controversial Cabinet appointments. However, in the aftermath of a bitterly contentious election year, it seems like a little more than half of Americans are prepared to embrace the Trump 2.0 wave.
Some people online have predicted we’ll see more celebrities publicly supporting Trump this time around, given what seems to be a lower risk of backlash.
And even if stars don’t outright endorse Trump’s presidency, there’s still a noticeable softening of distaste that suggests some may be bending the knee. Make no mistake, many celebrities are still firm Trump detractors. However, the stigma of supporting Trump seems to be slowly wearing off as we inch closer to his White House return and face the fact that we’re about to endure another four years under his leadership.
Some celebrities might now be telling themselves: “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.” Or maybe they’ll just find a loophole by calling for American unity to keep the peace.
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