The Rushingbrook Children‘s Choir from Greenville, South Carolina is getting a second chance to perform the national anthem after they were abruptly cut off by Capitol Police during their visit to the nation‘s Capitol last month. The children, whose performance was seen by millions and sparked outrage across the nation, have now been invited to sing at a campaign rally by former President Donald Trump.
The incident occurred on May 26, when the choir was in Statuary Hall singing the first three verses of “The Star Spangled Banner“ when they were unexpectedly stopped mid–song. In a video message released earlier this week, Trump extended the invitation to the children, adding “It‘s a really, it‘s a serious thing to have an event like that – such a beautiful time in your lives and such an important time in your lives – to be interrupted in such a way.”
🚨Video: President Trump invites Greenville children’s choir to perform at his next campaign rally in South Carolina after the group's performance of the “Star-Spangled Banner” at U.S. Capitol was halted by police.
pic.twitter.com/Aw1VhExtqg— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) June 7, 2023
David Rasbach, the director of the choir, said the invitation was an honor, expressing their gratitude to the former President.
“We love our country. We’re going to take care of our country, and we’re going to pay respect to those people that love it. And nobody loves it more than you,” Trump added in the video.
The performance soon went viral, prompting outrage from many on social media. The Capitol Police initially claimed the interruption was due to a miscommunication, and later released a statement claiming they had allowed the choir to continue the performance, which has been disputed by Micah Rea, the man who organized the trip.
In a joint statement, Speaker McCarthy (R–CA), along with Republican South Carolina Reps. Joe Wilson, Russell Fry, and William Timmons expressed their disappointment in the incident. Timmons also said the South Carolina delegation has agreed to cover the costs for the choir to return to the nation‘s capital. Wilson also announced plans to introduce a bill that would allow the national anthem to be performed on all federal property, saying “love for one’s country should be celebrated.”
🚨The Rushingbrook Children's Choir sang the National Anthem in Statuary Hall. a Capitol Police officer stopped them mid-song. Capitol Police claims they didn't stop the choir. The choir director tells the whole story in my exclusive interview here. 🚨https://t.co/ZRNbWy75la pic.twitter.com/ijiq4pw3X8
— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) June 2, 2023
The Rushingbrook Children‘s Choir has also received invitations to perform from various news outlets, including Newsmax and Fox News. Trump‘s South Carolina campaign rally is still in the planning stages, and an exact date has not yet been announced.
Rasbach expressed his astonishment at the choir‘s newfound attention, saying that before the incident they “never even had full houses.” Now, their second chance to perform the national anthem has been made possible by the nation‘s former president. The Rushingbrook Children’s Choir will no doubt have its moment to shine in the spotlight once again.