Donald Trump is set to officially become the 47th president of the United States in a matter of days at his January 20 inauguration—and speculation remains over who will perform at the high-profile ceremony.
When Trump was inaugurated in 2017, the acts booked to perform on the day and at the associated balls and celebratory events included 3 Doors Down, Toby Keith, Big & Rich, Chrisette Michele, Jackie Evancho, and members of the Rockettes, among others.
After Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 election, the stars on hand to perform at his inauguration included Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga and Garth Brooks. Among those performing later that evening were Bruce Springsteen, Katy Perry and Justin Timberlake as part of a TV special hosted by actor Tom Hanks.
With this year's ceremony just days away, a confirmed full lineup has yet to be publicly announced, leaving room for speculation and some wild suggestions.
Fox News host Laura Ingraham recently urged pop star Taylor Swift to perform at Trump's inauguration to make amends for not endorsing him during the November election. Swift, who has been critical of Trump in the past, announced in September that she was backing Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris.
Newsweek has looked at the musical acts that are more likely to take the stage as Trump is sworn into office.
Newsweek reached out to representatives of Trump, Kid Rock, Lee Greenwood, Mary Millben, Big & Rich, Jason Aldean, and Kanye "Ye" West for comment.
Kid Rock
Musician Kid Rock has been an unabashed supporter of Trump for nearly a decade. He backed Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and spoke out in support of the onetime real estate mogul during his tenure in office.
The "Bawitdaba" singer, whose given name is Robert James Ritchie, has called Trump "a great guy" and expressed admiration for his unfiltered approach to politics and made appearances at the president-elect's rallies.
While Kid Rock became known for his staunch support of Trump and conservative policies and stances, the musician took a different tone days after November's election.
"First off, let me convey to my family, friends, and supporters that now is not the time to gloat," he said in a video shared on social media.
"We must remember that most of our left-leaning friends are good people who want the same things in life as we do but simply think differently on how to get there," he said. "It is now time to be the bigger man, to extend an olive branch and unite all reasonable people of this great nation."
"God has blessed America, and together with President Trump, we will make America great again," he concluded.
Lee Greenwood
Country singer Lee Greenwood is another musician who has been a vocal supporter of Trump over the years. He has performed at several Trump rallies and fundraisers.
In 2016, Greenwood said he was "honored" to support Trump, emphasizing that the Republican's policies aligned with his beliefs about America's greatness and the importance of strong national defense and economic growth.
One of Greenwood's most significant demonstrations of support for Trump was his performance at his previous inauguration in 2017. Greenwood performed his iconic song "God Bless the U.S.A." during the event, which became a patriotic anthem associated with Trump's campaign and presidency.
"President Trump truly believes that he's doing the right thing by America," Greenwood said of the then-GOP nominee during an appearance on Newsmax's National Report in October.
Mary Millben
Singer and actress Mary Millben, who performed at Trump's first inauguration, has publicly expressed her hope that she will be one of the acts taking part in this year's ceremony.
"I'm just happy that he and the first lady have been blessed with another opportunity to serve the country," Millben recently told Breitbart News. "The policies of the four years of the president were best for America, and the policies that are already in motion are going to be better."
"He's a different man because of what he experienced, the assassination attempts on his life," added Millburn, who served as a presidential appointee for former President George W. Bush during his second term.
"I certainly see, firsthand, how it has made him a different man—he's so much more bold to speak out about God and his faith and his journey of faith," she said of Trump. "It's been really encouraging for me, and I know it has been for the country and your listeners, to see the president get up and admonish the Lord and his walk with God."
Millben, who performed at the Republican National Convention in July, spoke with the outlet about taking the stage at Trump's rally at New York City's Madison Square Garden.
"Having a debut at Madison Square Garden was such a big deal for me, personally, but then having a debut at Madison Square Garden in support of President Trump and it being right before Election Day was incredible," she said.
Millben has performed for the four most recent presidents: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush.
Big & Rich
Country music duo Big & Rich, made up of Big Kenny and John Rich, have also performed for Trump in the past—most notably during his 2017 inauguration celebrations.
Big Kenny has been relatively low-key about his political views, standing in contrast to his bandmate, who has been an outspoken supporter of Trump and conservative stances over the years.
As 2024 drew to a close, Rich—who competed on and won The Celebrity Apprentice in 2011—took to X, formerly Twitter, to write: "Sure, Dec 31st is fun...but the REAL party is on Jan 20th."
At the time, Rich was among the acts to have performed on CBS' New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash. The post has garnered more than 240,000 views and sparked questions about whether he will appear at the inauguration.
However, there is a sticking point: Rich has teamed up with conservative internet personality Phillip Buchanan, popularly known as Catturd, to host a sold-out inauguration watch party at his live music venue in Tennessee on the day.
Sharing the information on X in early December, Rich wrote: "@catturd and I are throwing an 'Inauguration Bash' at my place in Nashville! @RedneckRiviera I'm performing live with my songwriting friends, and we'll celebrate DJT's WIN together!"
With flights between Nashville and Washington, D.C., taking around two hours, Rich could still be a part of the inaugural celebrations in the evening.
Jason Aldean
Country music singer Jason Aldean won the support of Trump when his track and its accompanying video, "Try That in a Small Town," sparked public debate in 2023.
Amid accusations that the lyrics and imagery promoted racism and gun violence, Trump publicly expressed his support for Aldean's "great new song" on social media. The track was played at a Trump rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, that year.
During a concert in Nashville last summer, Aldean dedicated the track to Trump, telling the crowd: "President Trump's a friend of mine, so I want to send this next song out to him."
As Americans headed to the polls on November 5, Aldean shared a collection of photos of himself onstage with Trump.
"Big day for our country today," Aldean captioned the images. "Over the past several years we have taken a lot of heat from the entertainment industry and the media for our support of @realDonaldTrump.
"As a father and an American citizen, I want to see our country get back to its values and principles that made us great to begin with. Vote so our kids can have a safe and secure future. I proudly voted for Trump and encourage everyone to get out today and VOTE!! IT MATTERS."
Kanye "Ye" West
Rapper Kanye "Ye" West made headlines for supporting Trump during his first term in office, famously wearing one of his red "Make America Great Again" hats and using his platform to praise the former star of The Apprentice.
The support led to West meeting with Trump on several occasions. Trump came under fire from all sides of the political spectrum after it was revealed in late 2022 that he had met with West—who had been criticized for antisemitic comments—and white supremacist Nick Fuentes at the president-elect's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
In a series of Truth Social posts defending the meeting, Trump wrote that he "didn't know" who Fuentes was but stopped short of condemning the man, who the Southern Poverty Law Center says is a "white nationalist live streamer."
Trump also posted that he agreed to meet West amid the fallout over the musician and designer's antisemitic remarks as he wanted to help a "seriously troubled man, who just happens to be Black."
While West in 2022 called Trump a "liar" and said in an interview that the businessman said unspecified "things that hurt" him, he has continued to express support for Trump.
When asked by a videographer last February if he still backed Trump, West responded: "Yeah, of course. It's Trump all day."
A possible inaugural performance would mark a significant return to the spotlight for West.
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