Carrie Underwood Stirs More Backlash for ‘American Idol’ as Fans Plan to Boycott Show Due to Singer’s Support for Donald Trump
“American Idol” is welcoming Carrie Underwood back home for season 23 of the long-running singing competition show. The first episode premieres on March 9, but not everyone who has enjoyed the FOX series in the past will be tuning in.
The nostalgia of Underwood’s return, this time as a judge, has been met with backlash and now growing calls for a boycott. Promotional clips drumming up excitement for the next round of talented hopefuls are littered with negative remarks from fans taking issue with the country music star.
The “Before He Cheats” sensation was catapulted to overnight stardom when she won the competition in 2004. However, two decades of praise soured in early January when she was announced as a performer at Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
Her perceived support of the controversial and divisive Republican saw comments proclaiming the end of her career. Countless people expressed that they were baffled as to why she even accepted the invitation. Still, the Jan. 20 spectacle went off without a hitch, sans audio issues, which forced her to sing an impromptu a cappella version of “America the Beautiful.”
Now, weeks away from the kickoff of “American Idol,” comments of the same vein can easily be found. One post showing side-by-side photos of Underwood from Season 4 as a contestant to her present-day as a host was a catalyst for the ongoing discourse.
A bold declaration about the Oklahoma native read, “She’s canceled.” A second Instagram user quipped, “Yea won’t be watching this year then. Can’t support a show that hires a woman who supports hate and racism and convicted felons.” Similarly, a third person stated, “Yeah the Trump stuff is a huge turn off… no thanks.”
A fourth user felt inclined to attack her looks when they typed, “Look it’s lady Trump.” On the contrary, some comments revealed that her perceived political allegiance was a disappointment but that it would not deter them from watching “American Idol.”
Two supporters wrote, “Still our girl! Cannot wait for you on American Idol” and “Don’t worry about the hate Carrie we the true Americans are with you.” Outrage over her Trump performance has been loud on social media, but Underwood has yet to address her critics. In fact, she has not shared a single post reflecting on her role in the historical moment at all.
Carrie Underwood seemingly refused to shake former Vice President Kamala Harris’s hand at the Trump inauguration. pic.twitter.com/I00YebU219
— music data (@music__data) January 21, 2025
Days after the inauguration, a report published by The U.S. Sun claimed that strain from her involvement with the president had become a stressful situation for the show. In older Idol posts, fans can be seen pleading for producers to not give the entertainer the boot.
The outlet’s purported insider claimed, “The show just wants to stay away from anything political…The situation has become too big and out of anyone’s control now which is a stressful position to be in while trying to promote a family-friendly, politically neutral show.”
Underwood is in the company of Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, Nelly, and Soulja Boy, who each faced backlash for accepting gigs in support of the convicted felon’s return to office.
