Jazz great Ethel Ennis sang the national anthem. Jimmy Carter, 1977: Cantor Isaac Goodfriend, a Holocaust survivor, accompanied by the U.S. Marine Band sang t

Carrie Underwood sung "America the Beautiful" during the inauguration of Donald Trump, performing a cappella after a tech glitch.

Carrie Underwood’s heartfelt rendition of “America the Beautiful” was a moment of unscripted brilliance that resonated deeply with the American spirit. What began as a technical glitch — a long pause where the national anthem refused to play —transformed into a moment of profound symbolism.

Carrie Underwood followed Lady Gaga and Beyonce from Inauguration Days past when she performed the song at Donald Trump's inauguration.

Carrie Underwood sings "America the Beautiful" at the inauguration of Donald Trump in Washington, D.C.

I struggled for a way to memorialize the dawning in Washington of Hell's Encore. Finally, I gave up and fell back on what I think is the greatest paragraph of political journalism of at least the last half-century.

President Donald Trump did not place his hand on the two Bibles held by his wife, Melania Trump, when he took his second oath of office to become the 47th president of the United States

Vivek Vance, son of Vice President JD Vance, rests his head as Vance and President Donald Trump cheer during an indoor inauguration parade at the Capital One Arena on January 20, 2025, in Washington, DC (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

How we elect our presidents has never been more broken — and that’s saying something for an Electoral College system subject to more proposed constitutional amendments than any other topic.

It has become the absolute highlight of US presidential inaugurations: the moment America’s music greats take to the stage to bless the incoming leader with their performances. As Donald Trump prepares for his swearing-in ceremony on Monday,