Parker McCollum is the latest country act to join the lineup of entertainers participating in Donald Trump’s inauguration festivities.
On Monday (January 20), Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. The celebration will start on Saturday and will go through the weekend until inauguration day. Following Trump taking the oath of office midday, the transition of power and festivities will continue throughout the day.
Inauguration day will end with three balls: The Liberty Ball, which will be headlined by Jason Aldean, The Village People, and a “special guest,” The Starlight Ball, featuring Gavin DeGraw, and the Commander-In-Chief Ball where country trio Rascal Flatts will share the headlining spot with Parker McCollum.
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McCollum’s participation was announced Wednesday night and was met with mixed reactions from his fans.
Following the announcement, fans took to social media to express their disappointment in Parker McCollum’s decision to perform for Trump or express their pride in his boldness. Most seemed surprised that Parker would make such a move and seemingly throw his support behind Donald Trump.
While McCollum hasn’t spoken at length about where he stands politically, he is an avid outdoorsman and hunter. In an interview with the NRA (National Rifle Association) in 2023, he defended the Second Amendment (the right to keep and bear arms).
When asked what freedom and the Second Amendment meant to him, he told the outlet, “Freedom to me is the ability to think and decide for yourself, to live the kind of life you want to live. And I think it’s so important at the very start of this country, they put that amendment into place to allow citizens to protect themselves from a tyrannical government. I know it seems old-school, like that was a long time ago, but with the crazy world we are living in today, it seems more relevant and necessary than ever.”
McCollum also came to Jason Aldean’s defense when the latter faced backlash over his song, “Try That In A Small Town.” Aldean, a vocal Trump supporter and conservative, faced intense criticism over the song that was accused of promoting gun violence and portraying racist sentiments.
McCollum reposted a statement written by Matt Walsh in support of Aldean’s song that read:
“Hilarious to hear the media accuse Jason Aldean of writing a song that ‘promotes violence’ when nearly every rap song for the past 30 years has directly and enthusiastically glorified murder, drug dealing, robbery and every other violent crime, and these people say nothing,” the tweet read.
Other artists participating in the upcoming inauguration festivities include Carrie Underwood, Lee Greenwood, Kid Rock, and Billie Ray Cyrus. More performers are expected to be announced in coming days.
Parker has yet to issue a statement about being a part of Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day events.