Loomis has issued an apology after a clip of her swearing while performing the US National Anthem went viral.
The singer performed ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ during the debate for an independent candidate on Wednesday (October 23). The event was broadcast live on TV, on the radio and online.
In footage of the rendition shared online, Loomis is seen appearing flustered on stage, before getting visibly annoyed after messing up a note. “I fucked it up. I fucked it up. Can I go back? Can go back, please,” she said after singing the line “and the rocket’s red glare”
“You can’t. We’re live,” she was told, before continuing the National Anthem.
Now, after the clip went viral, Loomis has taken to social media to apologise for swearing on live television.
“I F—ed it up. I F—ed it up. Can I go back. Can go back, please.”
“You can’t. We’re live”
— National Anthem pic.twitter.com/HR3ikojfGc
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) October 26, 2024
Taking to Instagram, she shared a video in which she apologised to the Free and Equal Elections team who organised the debate, and called it a “mishap” on her behalf.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to mess up the national anthem, she said. “This has been something I’ve been scared of since I was a little girl […] I was scared I was gonna fail and then I did, and the world’s seen it.”
Later on in the performance, she said that she had the blunder because she “got too nervous” during the set.
Soon after making the rounds online, various users took to the comment section to share their thoughts on the blunder. Many of which likened it to the infamous rendition performed by Fergie at the NBA All-Star Game in 2018.
“I know Fergie is somewhere smiling hard af right now bc she no longer has the worst national anthem performance in history,” one wrote on X/Twitter, while someone commented on the TikTok post saying: “Fergie has officially earned her retirement.”
As highlighted by the BBC, another incident where an artist was mocked online for a performance of the US National Anthem took place earlier this year, when country singer Ingrid Andress sang at the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby. She later said that she was drunk during the set.
The US Presidential election is set to take place on November 5.