Carrie Underwood's journey to Trump Inauguration from 'American Idol' champ

Carrie Underwood is gearing up to perform at President-elect Donald Trump's swearing-in ceremony.

Throughout her 20-year career, the "All-American Girl" crooner has mostly avoided voicing her political opinions. But the former "American Idol" winner expressed her love for the United States when she agreed to perform at the momentous occasion.

"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, who will be joined by the Armed Forces Choir and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club, said in a statement. "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."

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The Oklahoma native captured the hearts of many on "American Idol" in 2005. After her victory, Underwood achieved instant success with singles such as "Jesus, Take The Wheel" and "Before He Cheats" off her debut album, as well as "Some Hearts," which became the best-selling debut album of all time by a solo female country artist. She went on to release eight more studio albums, including "Carnival Ride" (2007), "Play On" (2009), "Blown Away (2012) and more. 

But as one of the most influential singers in country music, the eight-time Grammy Award-winner's personal and professional life has often faced criticism. 

"The role-model word is really scary to me, because no matter what happens in your life, something you do, wear, say, sing, whatever — somebody somewhere is probably not going to like it too well," she told the Associated Press in 2012. "I just really try hard to do what I do and try to be nice to people and make great music, and if people think they can look up to that, that's wonderful. If not, that's OK, too."

With a widespread fan base ranging from evangelical Christians to the LGBTQ+ community, Underwood's political stance has often been at the center of debate. 

"There is someone I do support, but I don’t support publicly," the country star told TV Guide in 2008.  "I lose all respect for celebrities when they back a candidate. It’s saying that the American public isn’t smart enough to make their own decisions. I would never want anybody to vote for anything or anybody just because I told them to."

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Four years later, Underwood faced both backlash and praise after seemingly speaking out in support of gay marriage. 

"As a married person myself, I don't know what it's like to be told I can't marry somebody I love, and want to marry," she told The Independent in 2012. "I can't imagine how that must feel. I definitely think we should all have the right to love, and love publicly, the people that we want to love."

"Above all, God wanted us to love others. It's not about setting rules, or [saying] 'Everyone has to be like me'. No. We're all different," she added. "That's what makes us special. We have to love each other and get on with each other. It's not up to me to judge anybody."

Underwood currently resides in Nashville with her husband, former NHL center Mike Fisher, and their two sons, Isaiah, 9, and Jacob, 5.

During an interview with The Guardian in 2019, Underwood expressed her frustration over people trying to "pin [her] places politically."

"I try to stay far out of politics if possible, at least in public, because nobody wins," Underwood told the outlet. "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."

The criticism only heightened after agreeing to perform at Monday's inauguration. While some questioned her decision, others stood up to support the country star's move. 

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Country singer John Rich responded on X to Underwood's decision to perform, writing, "THERE SHE IS:) Carrie is a Patriot."

"The View" co-host Joy Behar called out Underwood last week and questioned how the singer could possibly love America. 

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During an episode of the Amy & T.J. podcast last week, T.J. Holmes said, "You better believe a lot of her fans and a lot of people are split on her participation—you can go look up her response if you'd like—but she's performing. Hey, it's the damn ... it's an inauguration. It's an American event, it's a patriotic event in a lot of ways, and it's just a beautiful event that happens every four years in this country. To participate in it, who wouldn't say yes to that? Does it matter who the president is? Can you not participate because people have an issue with politics or the policies or the person?"

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"Yeah, I think that Carrie Underwood made the decision that was right for her, and she has a beautiful voice, and I can't wait to hear it," Amy Robach added. 

"I stand behind her," Whoopi Goldberg declared during an episode of "The View" after co-host Joy Behar called out Underwood and questioned how the singer could possibly love America. 

"If I believe I have the right to make up my mind to go perform someplace, I believe they have the same right," Goldberg continued. "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."

With 2025 in full swing, Underwood is looking ahead as she gears up for a full-circle moment: judging the next season of "American Idol."

"I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of millions of people watching the show," she said in a video revealing her new job last year. "I’m proud of everything I was able to accomplish on the show, and I’m so proud of everything I’ve accomplished since."