Anti-Trump protests to feature bigger stars than his inauguration

A couple of country-western stars are the biggest names  to perform at Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, but the list of protesters is star-studded.

Trump’s  been turned down by some of todays most celebrated entertainers, including Elton John, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Garth Brooks, Andrea Bocelli, Kiss and Celine Dion.

That leaves Toby Keith, who’s best known for such hits as ‘I Love This Bar,” and Lee Greenwood, who’s famous for the song “God Bless the USA,” as the highest-profile performers appearing at Trump’s inauguration concert. Their participation was announced last week.

Also announced  last week were the Mississippi-born mainstream rock group 3 Doors Down and the Utah-based classical musicians The Piano Guys, who are YouTube favorites.

The Trump team also announced the participation of Academy Award®-winning actor and conservative activist Jon Voight, although it’s unclear exactly what sort of entertainment he will provide. Best-known today as the father of Angelina Jolie, Voight was a critically acclaimed movie star in the 1970s after shooting to fame playing a hustler in the groundbreaking film Midnight Cowboy.

Voight can currently be seen as a homicidal ex-con on Showtime’s Ray Donovan.

Singer/actress Jennifer Holliday was also announced last week as part of the event’s “top” tier of performers, but citing ignorance of politics, she quickly backed out after a backlash from her LGBT fans.

The latest round of inauguration entertainers announced will join a line-up that includes opera singer Jackie Evancho, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and some of the Rockettes.

Trump has dismissed his inability to attract “A” list entertainers, saying that they’re losers and proclaiming that his inauguration features the biggest name in the world: Donald J. Trump.

Trump’s low-wattage inauguration will feature only three balls, compared to an average of around 10. Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration celebrations included 14 balls and the biggest names in show business, including Beyoncé, Aretha Franklin, Bruce Springsteen, Mary J. Blige, Jon Bon Jovi, James Taylor, John Legend, John Mellencamp, Josh Groban, will.i.am, Herbie Hancock, Sheryl Crow, Renée Fleming, Garth Brooks, Stevie Wonder, Usher, Shakira, U2, and Pete Seeger, among others.

But there will be big names in D.C. to protest Trump’s inauguration. Katy Perry, Amy Schumer, Cher and others will appear at the Women’s March on Washington, taking place the day after Trump take the oath of office.

Women’s marches protesting Trump also will be held in cities from coast to coast and include many other celebrities, such as Chelsea Handler, Julianne Moore, Olivia Wilde, Debra Messing and Uzo Aduba.

A demonstration in front of Trump Towers in Manhattan on the eve of the inauguration is also expected to draw big names, including Mark Ruffalo, Michael Moore and Rosie Perez.

Organizers told The Associated Press they expect thousands of New Yorkers to attend the event, which is being put together by such groups as Greenpeace and MoveOn.

The demonstration is intended as a kick-off to organizing opposition to Trump’s policies and support for cities taking their own approach on immigration, climate change, health care, workers’ rights and other issues.

“We are sending a message to Washington that we will fight, at every step, discrimination and harmful policies, today, tomorrow, and every day,” Kenosha native Ruffalo said in a statement. He said participants “are coming together to stand up for one another, as we will do every day, to protect the values we hold dear.”

The New York demonstration also aims to spotlight actions that cities can take locally, such as working on their own to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Trump is beginning his administration amid a number of investigations, lawsuits and scandals. A recent poll by Quinnipiac University put the president-elect’s approval rating at just 37 per cent — lower than any recent president.

Obama’s rating stands at 55 percent as he leaves office.