Carrie Underwood Has Spent Years Avoiding Politics — Here’s Why She Won’t Pick a Side

Fans know Carrie Underwood for her powerhouse vocals and chart-topping country hits. However, when it comes to politics, the singer has famously stayed out of the spotlight. Over her nearly two-decade career, Underwood has carefully navigated public perception. She chooses to focus on her music and philanthropic work rather than weigh in on divisive political debates. In January 2026, General Hospital star Nancy Lee Grahn criticized Underwood’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! appearance due to politics. Here’s what to know about Underwood’s political stance and why she doesn’t publicly choose sides.

Carrie Underwood previously said she tries to stay ‘far out of politics’

American Idol winner Carrie Underwood has spent much of her career purposefully keeping her political views private. In a 2019 interview, she noted that she tries to stay far out of politics in public “because nobody wins” when celebrities wade into partisan debates. That neutrality came under greater scrutiny when Underwood agreed to perform “America the Beautiful” at Donald Trump’s 2025 presidential inauguration. She framed the decision as an honor and an opportunity to sing for unity rather than take a political stance.

“I feel like more people try to pin me places politically,” she told The Guardian in 2019. “I try to stay far out of politics if possible, at least in public, because nobody wins. It’s crazy. Everybody tries to sum everything up and put a bow on it, like it’s black and white. And it’s not like that.”

Underwood added that it “bugs” her when fans take her songs and try to “force” her to pick a side. “It’s a discussion — a long discussion,” she continued.

In particular, she referenced her 2018 song, “The Bullet.” The song lyrics discussed guns — a divisive topic in politics today. While speaking to Stellar, she noted that the shooting at Jason Aldean’s Las Vegas show in 2017 partially drove the motivation to create the song.

“It’s a beautiful and powerful song, and I thought for a long time whether or not I was the one to deliver its message,” Underwood said. “Unfortunately, too many events have happened and not just on a grand scale … any word I say right now is gonna be wrong.”

The country star previously discussed why she decided to perform ‘America the Beautiful’ for Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration

In January 2025, Carrie Underwood stepped into a politically charged spotlight following an invitation to perform “America the Beautiful” at the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump. The country star inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda shortly after he was sworn in. Although the planned musical accompaniment experienced technical issues, Underwood adapted on the spot and delivered the patriotic song a cappella, even encouraging those present to join in.

The moment received both praise and backlash from fans. While Underwood made a point not to publicly discuss politics in the past, the performance seemed to mark a departure from her previous stance. Many of her fans saw the event as support for Trump.

At the time, Underwood framed the opportunity as an “honor” and a potentially unifying moment in history.

“I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” Underwood said in a statement, according to PBS. “I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”

Nancy Lee Grahn of ‘General Hospital’ fame criticized Carrie Underwood

Actress Nancy Lee Grahn, best known for her longtime role on General Hospital, recently made headlines by publicly declaring she would not watch an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! simply because Carrie Underwood was a guest. Fox News reports that she posted to Threads that she would “refuse to even look at @carrieunderwood.” Grahn’s comment came after Underwood appeared on the show with fellow American Idol judges to promote the upcoming season.

Grahn, who has been vocal about her political views online, later clarified that her remark wasn’t meant as a slight against host Jimmy Kimmel but was specifically about Underwood’s involvement.

“Truth matters,” she continued. “I LOVE Jimmy Kimmel & watch him every night. I would never ‘slam’ him. I simply said I would watch him next week because I didn’t want to look at Carrie Underwood (for obvious reasons) who was his guest that night. Come on guys, I’m not worth the silly clickbait.”

Comedian Kathy Griffin agreed.

“I’ll watch ya! Yeah, no love for maga Carrie,” Griffin commented. “It’s not just about political disagreements anymore.”