Carrie Underwood's Performance For Trump Put A Dent In Her 'American Idol' Image

Carrie Underwood came back to "American Idol" as a judge in Season 23, which premiered in March 2025. About two months before the first episode aired, she found herself at the center of political controversy when she sang "America the Beautiful" at Donald Trump's second inauguration that January. Although Carrie Underwood's performance was reportedly a disaster behind the scenes, her choice didn't impact her job on "American Idol." Her second season on the judging panel of the hit show began airing on ABC in January 2026, and on the surface, everything seems fine. But insiders close to the show told columnist Rob Shuter for his "Naughty But Nice" Substack that Underwood's decision to support Trump by singing at his inauguration might still impact her involvement with the show that made her a star. 

Shuter's insider sources say "American Idol" producers are closely monitoring the show's ratings and the conversation online. The reason reportedly has nothing to do with the "Cry Pretty" singer's judging and everything to do with the fact that they don't want Underwood's perceived political allegiances to distract the public from the point of the show. "'Idol' is supposed to be feel-good, family-friendly television," one source shared. "Politics instantly split the audience, and that's the opposite of what 'Idol' is built on." Another source said that for a show focused on undiscovered talent, "Once viewers stop talking about contestants and start arguing about judges, the brand takes a hit." What's unsaid there is that while "American Idol" made Underwood a star, the show doesn't need her to make money.

Carrie Underwood is no stranger to controversies that have triggered the downfall in her reputation, even during her first season as an "American Idol" judge. She was slow to stand up for Season 23 winner Jamal Roberts after he won, which caused backlash online and led to Carrie Underwood being likened to a diva. But her decision to perform at Donald Trump's inauguration and her perceived political alignment with him continues to impact her career, presumably negatively. In response to the backlash online, Underwood issued a statement (via Today) arguing that "we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future." Considering the "Naughty But Nice" sources are suggesting her bosses are watching her closely a year later, her attempts at damage control seem to have failed.

Underwood is a registered Republican (via Us Weekly) who came under fire for liking a comment against mask mandates in schools in 2021. But she once told The Guardian that she tries to stay out of public political controversies because no issue is black and white and many people don't understand that. "I lose all respect for celebrities when they back a candidate," she wrote on her website in 2008, per Us Weekly. Neither her political registration nor the fact that she sang at Trump's inauguration means she voted for him. But her actions have been contradicting her words for years now, and apparently ABC is monitoring her.