Upcoming Match-ups

Political Odds: Trump Struggles to Land A-Listers

Don Aguero

by Don Aguero in Entertainment

Updated Jan 17, 2018 · 9:39 AM PST

Apparently Donald Trump has a few performers lined up for his inauguration, but Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s newly named “Counselor to the President,” has refused to name names. Trump struggled throughout the entire election to land endorsements from A-list celebrities, and for someone so embedded in celebrity culture, that’s gotta sting.

So far, Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli have both turned down invitations to perform. Gene Simmons’ wife revealed that rockers KISS also politely declined. And it is rumored that Elton John also turned down the chance to perform.

Right now, the only secured singer (that we know of) is Jackie Evancho, the 16-year-old America’s Got Talent star.

Who else will perform come January 20?

Here are our picks!


Odds to Perform at Donald Trump’s Inauguration

Kanye West: 4/1

Perhaps the only A-lister to formally endorse Donald Trump, Kanye West may step up and perform at Trump’s inauguration. His music may alienate more traditional Republican voters, but hey, that’s what Trump has been doing this whole time anyway.

Ted Nugent: 4/1

What’s a Trump rally without a Nugent performance?

Ted Nugent became a staple at Trump campaign stops and established himself as one of the most dedicated Trump loyalists. Trump may want some bigger names than the outspoken rocker, but if no one else accepts his invitation, he’ll have to settle on the Nuge.

Tiffany Trump: 9/1

You may not know this, but Trump’s youngest daughter dabbled in pop music back in 2014. Her heavily autotuned song didn’t soar to the top of the charts like the young Trumpette may have hoped, but maybe a chance to perform at her dad’s inauguration might be just what the aspiring pop musician needs to make it big.

Aaron Carter: 30/1

The candy aficionado and brother of a backstreet boy endorsed Trump in an interview with People magazine last February but since rescinded his endorsement. It was the closest Trump has been to getting a pop star on his side. If, for some reason, the younger Carter changes his mind again, the inauguration could turn into “Aaron’s Party 2.0” and he could find himself on stage performing for a nation that vaguely remembers his name.

Rick Astley: 100/1

Donald Trump is the political equivalent of the Rickroll. What better way to welcome in the 45th president of the United States than with “Never Gonna Give You Up” blaring from the speakers?


Photo credit: “Kanye West @ MoMA” by Jason Persse CC BY-SA 2.0 [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0], via Flickr.

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