Carrie Underwood found herself at the center of a political storm after sharing a candid moment from the “American Idol” stage that quickly spilled onto social media.
According to Fox News, the country star and current judge revealed that she received boos from the audience during Hollywood Week, a development she acknowledged publicly on X.
“Spoiler alert…I get booed A LOT from our Hollywood Week audience,” Underwood wrote, adding a flushed face emoji and tagging the show.
Her post triggered a wave of online reactions, with critics tying the crowd response to her appearance at President Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration.
Underwood performed “America the Beautiful” inside the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol shortly after Trump took the oath of office in January 2025.
The performance drew praise from supporters when technical issues cut the music, and she continued a cappella while encouraging the audience to join in.
But others viewed the moment as political.
Some social media users accused the singer of aligning herself with Trump, while several celebrities appeared to weigh in indirectly.
Mandy Moore and Ariana Grande both “liked” a meme that suggested Underwood sounded off-key during the performance.
“The View” co-host Joy Behar also criticized the decision to participate in the inauguration, arguing it helped normalize Trump’s presidency.
“General Hospital” actress Nancy Lee Grahn wrote on Threads that she could “no longer look” at Underwood after the performance.
Not everyone agreed with the backlash.
Whoopi Goldberg, Behar’s co-host on “The View,” defended Underwood’s right to perform, emphasizing that artists should be free to make their own choices.
Country singer Jason Aldean praised her handling of the technical difficulties, calling the a cappella recovery a “pro move.”
Underwood has long said she prefers to stay out of political debates. When she first confirmed her participation in the inauguration, she framed the performance as patriotic rather than partisan.
“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,” she said at the time.
“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.”
