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Country music star, Carrie Underwood transformed a technical malfunction into a unifying moment on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. The 41-year-old singer was scheduled to perform "America the Beautiful" with full musical accompaniment, but when the audio system failed, she demonstrated remarkable poise by leading an impromptu a cappella rendition.
"You know the words — help me out here," Underwood called out to the crowd, turning what could have been an awkward moment into an inclusive performance. The Armed Forces Chorus and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club joined her, along with most attendees in the audience, creating an unrehearsed but powerful collective expression of patriotism.
NBC's Savannah Guthrie provided context to viewers, explaining, "There was a pause right before Carrie Underwood was meant to sing. It seems as though there was some kind of problem with the accompaniment of the band that was supposed to play along with her." The singer maintained her composure throughout, dressed elegantly in a sleeveless dove gray draped midi dress by Opificio Modenese.
The performance sparked discussion across political lines. While some questioned her participation, others defended her decision. "People do what they do for whatever reasons," stated Whoopi Goldberg on "The View." Fellow performer Lee Greenwood strongly supported Underwood, telling The Post, "I pity those people that think they have to reach out to a star like her and run some negativity past her when all you have to do is say, 'Thank you for performing for our next president.'"
Underwood had previously addressed her stance on political involvement in a 2019 Guardian interview, stating, "I try to stay far out of politics if possible, at least in public, because nobody wins." When accepting the inaugural invitation, she emphasized unity, 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."
The ceremony featured other notable performances, including Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" and Christopher Macchio's rendition of the national anthem, setting the stage for evening celebrations at the Commander in Chief Ball featuring Jason Aldean and Rascal Flatts.
