Joy Behar, co-host of "The View," took aim at Carrie Underwood for agreeing to sing at Donald Trump's inauguration. Behar questioned how Underwood could claim to love America while performing for someone she called a "convicted felon."
"She says, ‘I love our country.’ How do you love your country and support someone who wants to destroy it, in my opinion?" Behar remarked. Her strong words reflected her disbelief at Underwood's decision.
Underwood is set to sing "America the Beautiful" at the event on January 20. Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin pushed back, pointing out that many Trump voters also love their country. She defended Underwood's right to perform, despite disagreeing with the choice.
"I wouldn’t do it myself," Behar added. "No one’s asked me, but if they did, it’d be a hard no." She emphasized her personal opposition while acknowledging the importance of free speech.
Sunny Hostin, another co-host, offered a more neutral perspective. "Art is art," she said. "You have a right to perform where you want to perform." Hostin noted she wouldn’t sing either, joking, "I can’t sing a lick, but it’d still be a no."
Whoopi Goldberg also defended Underwood’s choice. "People do what they do for their reasons," she said, comparing it to Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski’s controversial meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. "I stand behind her," Goldberg concluded.
Underwood addressed the backlash with a statement, saying she was "honored" to be part of the event. "I love our country and am humbled to sing at the Inauguration. It’s a time to come together in unity," she stated.
Her representative didn’t comment on Behar’s remarks. Meanwhile, other performers, including Lee Greenwood and the Village People, were announced for the inaugural events.
The Village People addressed critics directly. "Music is to be performed without regard to politics," they said on Facebook. Their iconic song "Y.M.C.A.," a Trump rally favorite, will likely be part of the festivities.