Whether we like it or not, Donald Trump is gearing up to be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. This means that Trump— who was recently sentenced to an “unconditional discharge” in his hush money case, and will face no penalty in the form of prison time, probation, or a fine—must find entertainers willing to perform at the event, which in the past has been easier said than done for the polarizing politician.
Trump’s team has tapped American Idol winner and country star Carrie Underwood to sing “America the Beautiful” at the event. “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,” the singer said in a statement on Monday. “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.” But who will sing the national anthem—arguably the eleven o’clock number of any inauguration?
For his 2017 inauguration, Trump went with an America’s Got Talent runner-up, child soprano Jackie Evancho. This time, according to screenshots of the program for the inauguration, it appears that Trump has gone with an even less well-known name: Christopher D. Macchio. A representative for Macchio confirmed to Vanity Fair that the singer will be present at multiple inauguration events, including the swearing in ceremony, where he’ll sing the national anthem with the US Marine Corps band orchestra and choir.
So, who is Christopher Macchio?
According to his personal website, which doesn’t appear to have been updated since 2021, “America’s Tenor” Christopher Macchio is an opera singer hailing from Long Island, New York. He studied classical voice at Manhattan School of Music and has been performing ever since.
He does not boast professional credits at any of the major opera houses, like New York’s Metropolitan Opera, Milan’s La Scala, or the Sydney Opera House; instead, Macchio made his professional debut in a concert special for PBS Television, and followed that up with appearances on Fox, NBC, ABC, and RAI International. He has released two albums—Dolci Momenti (Sweet Moments) and a Christmas album, O Holy Night—and sometimes appears as a guest singer in concerts with David Foster (who is now married to American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee Foster). Macchio is also one of the three New York Tenors, alongside Andy Cooney and Daniel Rodriguez, and semi-regularly performs concerts with them at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. He has appeared in two films: mafia comedy Don Q and the faith-based biopic Cabrini, directed by Sound of Freedom’s Alejandro Monteverde.
Macchio didn’t get his “big break,” so to speak, until he caught the eye of Phantom of the Opera–lover Trump. Initially, Macchio has shared on Instagram, it was Trump’s late brother Robert who was a “big, big fan” of his vocal stylings. Macchio first met the president-elect when the tenor was called in as a last-minute replacement for a New Year’s Eve performance at Mar-a-Lago. He eventually followed that up by performing for Trump on the White House patio during the Republican National Convention in 2020 after Trump accepted his party’s nomination.
Macchio has been riding on the Trump bandwagon ever since, regularly performing opera classics like “Ave Maria” and “Nessun Dorma,” as well as Leonard Cohen’s oft-covered “Hallelujah” at Trump rallies and campaign stops in Pennsylvania, Madison Square Garden, and at Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He now boasts that he’s Trump’s “favorite singer,” and even performed at the Trump HQ election-night party. He proudly posted a video of himself posing with the president-elect at an event in Mar-a-Lago shortly after.
On social media, he is avowedly MAGA and conservative, reposting and promoting right-wing content from Elon Musk and Russell Brand while simultaneously remaining “a firm believer in the unifying power” of music. Whatever he says about unity, though, Macchio seems to know where his bread is buttered. “I’m so privileged to be a part of his circle, his family, and the entire Trump organization,” he said in a video shared on his Instagram. It seems that remaining loyal to Trump has paid off, as Macchio now joins the pantheon of performers like Beyoncé and Lady Gaga who have sung the national anthem at a presidential inauguration. God bless America (and help us all).
