Carrie Underwood ‘American Idol’ boos spark firestorm, fans clash over MAGA and ‘right side of history’ claims

Country star faces backlash from critics who connected audience reaction to her Trump inauguration performance while fans expressed their support

Carrie Underwood faced unexpected backlash during a recent “American Idol” moment, igniting a social media firestorm over politics and being “on the right side of history.”

On Monday, the 42-year-old “American Idol” judge revealed on X, formerly Twitter, that she had received a less than warm reception from the audience during the long-running reality competition show’s Hollywood Week.

“Spoiler alert… I get booed A LOT from our Hollywood Week audience,” Underwood wrote, adding a flushed face emoji and tagging the show.

Carrie Underwood revealed that she was booed by the audience during “American Idol’s” Hollywood Week. (Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images)

Social media users quickly flocked to the comments section to vent their fury over Underwood’s perceived conservative leanings, with many referring to her performance during President Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration ceremony.

Some shared their opinions that the booing was an expression of disapproval from the audience over her purported politics.

“Lol. You bet. You sang for a mad man,” one social media user wrote, as others chimed in to share their agreement and accuse Underwood of being “MAGA.”

Some social media users slammed Underwood over her perceived conservative leanings after she sang “America the Beautiful” at Trump’s inauguration. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“Amen,” one X user replied.

“100%” another added.

“Indeed,” one X user wrote, with another commenting, “Exactly.”

“You took the extra step of making sure literally everyone dislikes you. Respect,” one critic wrote.

“Go away, has been,” another commented.

“Have you been hacked? Odd you would mention it, good to know. I stopped watching it in 2025,” another critic added.

Fans quickly defended the country star, who sits on the “America Idol” judges panel alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. (Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images)

However, Underwood’s replies were also filled with supportive comments from fans, who defended the eight-time Grammy Award winner.

“Good! The last thing you want is Hollywood thinking well of you,” fellow country star John Rich wrote.

“You are loved by all the right people,” another chimed in.

“Miss Underwood, stay with your values ma’am. You are on the right side of history & more importantly, morality,” one supporter commented.

“You are loved, Miss Carrie,” another wrote with a heart emoji.

“Take those boos as a compliment ! We are on the right side of history. Trust you will not lose your base, probably gain more followers. Stay strong!” a fan commented.

The singer has said she prefers to stay out of politics. (Reuters/Harrison Mcclary)

Underwood’s performance of “America the Beautiful” took place in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, shortly after Trump took the oath of office in January 2025.

The singer was widely praised by fans after she continued her rendition of the patriotic anthem by singing a capella, engaging the crowd after the background music failed.

However, many detractors slammed Underwood for what they saw as a public endorsement of Trump. Some fellow celebrities were also critical of the “Jesus, Take the Wheel” hitmaker.

Mandy Moore and Ariana Grande both “liked” an online meme that suggested Underwood sounded off-key during the performance.

“The View” host Joy Behar publicly questioned Underwood’s decision, calling out what she viewed as normalizing Trump’s presidency through the performance.

“General Hospital” star Nancy Lee Grahn claimed on Threads that she can “no longer look” at Underwood following her performance at the inauguration.

Underwood was widely praised for continuing with her performance at the inauguration after the audio failed. (Saul Loeb – Pool/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, other notable names commended Underwood for continuing to sing after the audio issues and defended her involvement with the inauguration.

Behar’s fellow “The View” host Whoopi Goldberg said Underwood had every right to perform and stood by the “American Idol” winner’s choice to sing at the inauguration, emphasizing artistic freedom.

Fellow country star Jason Aldean praised her handling of the difficult, a cappella performance and called it a “pro move.”

Underwood has repeatedly said she prefers to avoid talking about politics. When she confirmed that she would be performing at Trump’s inauguration, the singer wrote in a statement, “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,” she added.