‘If You Know The Words, Help Me Out Here!’ Carrie Underwood Sings A Cappella at Inauguration After Audio Problems

Sarah RumpfJan 20th, 2025, 1:04 pm
 

Carrie Underwood was forced to sing a cappella after there were audio problems with the planned musical accompaniment at President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Underwood first rose to fame after winning American Idol in 2005 and is the most awarded country music artist of all time, including winning eight Grammys. The news she would perform at inauguration surprised some of her fans and drew some criticism. The singer issued a statement last week via a representative calling for “unity”:

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. 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 was set to sing “America the Beautiful” with the Armed Forces Chorus immediately after Trump’s inaugural speech, but other than a few-seconds snippet, the music never came on.

“If you know the words, help me out here,” Underwood quipped before launching into an a cappella rendition of the popular patriotic song.

Watch the clip above via CNN.

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Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law&Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky.