With the amount of artists rumored to be turning down the opportunity to perform at Donald Trump's inauguration, you might think his team would leap at the chance to get an A-lister on board — no matter who it is. But on Twitter, Alec Baldwin announced he wants to perform at the inauguration, and somehow, I don't think that's quite what the president-elect and his team have in mind. Baldwin may be a big name in the entertainment world, but he also performs a popular parody of Trump every week on Saturday Night Live. But hey, who knows how desperate they'll get over in Trump's camp. As things stand right now, the only performer confirmed for the ceremony is Jackie Evancho, the 16-year-old reality TV alum who will be singing the national anthem; according to various reports, every other performer who's been approached by the transition team has turned them down — a list rumored to include Elton John, Garth Brooks, Céline Dion, KISS, and Andrea Bocelli.
Meanwhile, Communications Director for the Presidential Inaugural Committee Boris Epshteyn claimed to The Wrap, "First class entertainers are eager to participate in the inaugural events," and I'm betting he's never been more bummed to be proven right. It must really smart to have to ignore Baldwin's offer, facetious as it is, simply because his talents lie in exactly the opposite direction of what Trump's team would like to highlight on Jan. 20. Unless they want Baldwin with a pouty face making as much of a mockery of the inauguration as the man he's aping made of the election.
Baldwin has never made any secret of his political leanings when it comes to Trump, but this time he's really taken it to another level, and I'm loving it. I don't even know if Baldwin can sing, but the idea of him rasping out "Highway to Hell" as a commentary on where he feels our country is heading is giving me life right now. In fact, I might ask him to record it separately and play it in the background while I watch the inauguration on mute and make a donation to the ACLU every time I feel like the soon-to-be president is having an offensive thought.
It's the 2017 version of a drinking game, and it's the only thing that's going to get me through this.
