It's no secret that Trump's team has been struggling to find musical guests willing to perform at his inauguration, and holding down the few they do manage to convince. So far they've been turned down by the likes of Charlotte Church, Elton John, and Moby, and earlier this week Bruce Springsteen tribute act the B Street Band dropped off the lineupout of respect for the Boss, who thinks the PEOTUS is a "moron." One of Trump's advisers even attempted to downplay the importance of inaugural performers on national television, telling CNN "This is not Woodstock." Right now Trump's inaugural lineup includes America's Got Talent finalist Jackie Evancho, Lee Greenwood, Big & Rich, 3 Doors Down, Toby Keith, the Piano Guys, the Frontmen of the Country, DJ Ravidrums, Chrisette Michele, and Jon Voight. Definitely not Woodstock.
Remember last month, when self-described "friends" Trump and Kanye West met at Trump Tower to discuss "life"? You'd think that Trump would've already called up his superfamous rapper friend to perform at the inauguration. But earlier this week Tom Barrack, chairman of the Presidential Inauguration Committee, told CNN's Erin Burnett that they hadn't asked West to perform because the inauguration will be a "typically and traditionally American" affair.
This statement is concerning for a lot of reasons, but mainly because it suggests that West—who is undeniably one of the most important artists making music in 2017, despite his horrendous taste in friends—makes music that is not typically or traditionally American. Hip-hop and Donald Trump were both born in New York City... Just sayin'.