Parker McCollum Covers the Same Song Toby Keith Played at First Trump Inauguration for 2025 Performance

Parker McCollum gave a tip of the hat to late Country Music Hall of Famer Toby Keith when the Texas native performed at the Commander-in-Chief Inaugural Ball on Monday night in Washington, D.C. following Donald Trump’s swearing-in ceremony as the 47th president of the United States earlier that day.

Parker performed a rendition of Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” at the inaugural event. “It is no small deal to be here tonight,” McCollum told the audience. “We do not take it for granted, and I hope this song finds you well.”

Clad in jeans, a black cowboy hat and a black shirt and suit jacket, the “Burn It Down” singer lent his muscular, twangy vocal to an a cappella opening of the song’s first verse (as Keith also did on the song’s original recording), before McCollum was joined by his full band, drawing cheers from the audience.

McCollum was one of several country artists who performed as part of the presidential inaugural festivities held this week. Carrie Underwood weathered audio difficulties during the inauguration ceremony on Monday, pushing through to perform an a cappella rendition of “America the Beautiful.” Lee Greenwood performed his hit “God Bless the U.S.A.” the day before the inauguration, during a pre-inaugural rally. Rascal Flatts also performed at the Commander-in-Chief Ball, while Jason Aldean and Billy Ray Cyrus performed at the Liberty Ball.

Keith died in February 2024 at age 62, following a battle with stomach cancer. The Oklahoma native garnered 20 Billboard Hot Country Songs chart-topping hits during his career, including enduring classics such as “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” and “American Soldier.”

In 2017, Keith performed “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” during the festivities for Trump’s first presidential inauguration. At that time, Keith issued a statement regarding his decision to perform at the inaugural event, telling Entertainment Weekly, “I don’t apologize for performing for our country or military. I performed at events for previous presidents [George W.] Bush and [Barack] Obama and over 200 shows in Iraq and Afghanistan for the USO.”