Carrie Underwood performs a cappella after apparent technical glitch at Donald Trump inauguration

Carrie Underwood paid tribute to the incoming president with a rare political performance.

On Monday, Jan. 20, Underwood, 41, performed “America the Beautiful” inside the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C., during President Donald Trump’s inauguration, which was moved indoors due to cold temperatures.

Technical issues delayed Underwood’s performance, so she walked to the stage to sing a cappella, inviting the audience to join her and adding, “You know the words.” Many others in the crowd sang along, including former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris.

After concluding her song, the country singer shook hands with President Trump and freshly sworn-in Vice President JD Vance before leaving the stage.

On Monday, Jan. 13, a Presidential Inaugural Committee spokeswoman told PEOPLE that the American Idol alum will be singing at Trump’s inauguration. Later that day, the singer of “Jesus, Take the Wheel” spoke about her decision to play at Trump’s swearing-in event.

“I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the inauguration and be a small part of this historic event,” Underwood told PEOPLE at the time. “I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all band together and look ahead.”

Underwood had kept her political beliefs quiet for many years because, as she told The Guardian in 2019, “nobody wins.”

“That’s insane. Everyone tries to encapsulate everything and present it clearly and concisely, treating it as if it were binary. “And it’s not like that,” she told the outlet at the time.

At Trump’s inauguration in 2017, America’s Got Talent graduate Jackie Evancho, the Radio City Rockettes, the Missouri State University Chorale, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performed.