Garth Brooks’ Favorability Rating Takes a Hit Among Republicans After Inauguration Performance
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Key Takeaways
Garth Brooks’ favorability rating among Republicans was down 17 points, compared to a September 2018 survey.
64% of registered voters had a favorable view of Brooks after the ceremony, down 4 points from the prior poll.
Country singer Garth Brooks caused a stir among his more conservative fans when he performed “Amazing Grace” during Wednesday’s inauguration of President Joe Biden. Now, new polling finds that his popularity has fallen among Republican voters.
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The Jan. 20-21 Morning Consult survey of 1,993 registered voters found that post-inauguration, 64 percent of those surveyed had a favorable view of the singer, 4 points lower than his favorability rating in a Sept. 5-9, 2018 survey of 767 registered voters. The January survey has a margin of error of 2 percentage points, and the September survey has a 4-point margin of error.
Among Republicans, Brooks’ favorability rating dropped double digits: In 2018, 78 percent held a favorable view of the singer, but in the most recent survey, 61 percent favored him. Democrats had a more favorable view of the country crooner, with his popularity climbing 6 points among that demographic.
Ahead of his performance, Brooks, who reportedly identifies as a Republican and was asked to perform by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, said his performance was “not a political statement, this is a statement of unity." Brooks previously performed at former President Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009 and was asked to perform at former President Donald Trump’s, but skipped it due to a scheduled concert.
Sarah Shevenock previously worked at Morning Consult as a reporter covering the business of entertainment.