'Idol' Official Comments On Carrie Underwood's Inauguration Day Performance

American Idol showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick weighed in on Carrie Underwood’s performance on President Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day in January, which drew attention and mixed reactions among some social media commenters. The performance of “America the Beautiful” took place less than two months before the 2005 American Idol champ returned to the show to make her debut as a judge.

“That was her decision,” Michaels Wolflick said in an interview with The Wrap, which published on Sunday (March 9), the same day the new Idol season premiered. “Katy Perry, who was a judge on our show, sang at the last inauguration as well, so isn’t that great that two American Idol judges sang at the last two inaugurations?”

The Wrap noted that former Idol judge Jennifer Lopez also performed at a previous inauguration. Underwood joined the show following Perry’s departure. She joins returning judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. Michaels Wolflick added in the interview that Underwood’s performance amid technical difficulties was “handled very well. She held her own, and she remained cool, calm and collected, and I think a lot of that has to do with Idol and all of her live experience, starting at a young age, being on live television for Idol.”

Find Michaels Wolflick’s interview with The Wrap here.

Underwood’s involvement in Trump’s inauguration was revealed about a week before the event, when a photo of the program circulated on X, formerly Twitter. The American Idol judge, who likely delivered the performance for free, has previously opted to avoid involvement in politics. She said in a 2019 interview with The Guardian: “I feel like more people try to pin me places politically. I try to stay far out of politics if possible, at least in public, because nobody wins. It’s crazy. Everybody tries to sum everything up and put a bow on it, like it’s black and white. And it’s not like that.”

“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 said in a statement when news broke of her Inauguration Day performance on January 13. “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.”