Whoopi Goldberg defends Carrie Underwood’s decision to sing at Trump inauguration

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 08: Whoopi Goldberg attends Shorts: Animated Shorts Curated by Whoopi Goldberg during the 2024 Tribeca Festival at AMC 19th Street on June 08, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)

Whoopi Goldberg is no fan of President-elect Donald Trump, but she supports Carrie Underwood’s decision to perform at his inauguration, according to USA TODAY.

The hosts of “The View” weighed in Tuesday on Underwood’s announcement that she will sing “America the Beautiful” next week before Trump is sworn into office for his second term. While Underwood sparked backlash among some Trump critics, Goldberg defended the “American Idol” star.

“I stand behind her,” she said. “If I believe I have the right to make up my mind to go perform someplace, I believe they have the same right. So I have to support (her). It doesn’t mean I’m particularly interested in watching. I won’t be watching. But that’s me.”

The EGOT winner compared the situation to “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski controversially meeting with Trump after his election win, which also sparked backlash among fans. But Goldberg argued that like Underwood, the MSNBC hosts did what they felt “they needed to do, and I’ve got to stand behind them.”

Not all of Goldberg’s co-hosts were as sympathetic, though. Joy Behar said she would “not normalize” Trump by singing at his inauguration, and Sunny Hostin agreed that if she were a singer, she would give a “hard no” to the performance invite.

Still, Behar added she would “not be the person” to tell someone else not to perform at the inauguration because she believes “in free speech,” and Hostin concurred that artists have a “right to perform where (they) want to perform.”

Leave a comment