President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly sad that his team has been unable to book A-list celebrities to perform at his inauguration weekend in Washington, D.C., next month. According to The Wrap, Trump is “so displeased” with the inability to lure top talent from Hollywood (a liberal and Democratic bastion of the entertainment industry) that he’s recently personally ordered a shakeup of the process. Mark Burnett, who created Trump’s NBC series The Apprentice, reportedly then brought on talent recruiter Suzanne Bender in this last-ditch attempt.
“Trump is very unhappy,” an “insider” source familiar with the process told The Wrap. “Bender has been tasked with salvaging this…It’s a Hail Mary.”
Earlier this month, it was reported that Trump and his team were (unsuccessfully) trying to bribe Hollywood bookers and managers who could help secure celebs to perform at his inaugural festivities. Many of these singers on Trump’s wish-list were staunch Hillary Clinton supporters. Furthermore, opera singer Andrea Bocelli has decided not to perform at Trump’s inauguration (in spite of Trump’s strongest efforts). Last month, after a Trump adviser had told BBC that Elton John would perform “on the Mall for inauguration,” John’s publicist quickly emailed The Daily Beast back to stress that there was no truth to this claim.
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Trump will always have Ted Nugent and Antonio Sabato Jr., though.
—Asawin Suebsaeng
Read it at The Wrap
