It seems that Donald Trump is pulling out all the stops to try and get familiar faces to perform at his upcoming inauguration.
Rapper/actor/reality star Ice-T says that Trump’s team reached out and asked him to take part in the president-elect’s big night in January.
“I just got call to perform at the Inauguration … I didn’t pick up and Blocked the number,” Ice-T, who is as well known for his starring role on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” as for his hip-hop hits, wrote on Twitter.
Whether he was kidding or serious was not clear.
I just got call to perform at the Inauguration…. I didn’t pick up and Blocked the number.
— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) December 16, 2016
Just call Ted Nugent and call it a day….
— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) December 16, 2016
When TheWrap asked Trump’s inaugural committee to confirm, the director of communications issued this statement, “First class entertainers are eager to participate in the inaugural events. The inauguration as a whole will be an exciting and uniting celebration of freedom and democracy. We will be releasing further details at the appropriate time.”
The Body Count rapper joins a long list of artists to reject what has been considered a great honor with past presidents. Stars including Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson, James Taylor and Franklin performed at Obama’s inaugurations.
Insiders told TheWrap that Trump’s team is having such a hard time securing star power that they have offered ambassadorships to at least two talent bookers.
The bookers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they were approached by members of Trump’s Presidential Inaugural Committee in recent weeks with offers of cash or even plush diplomatic posts in exchange for locking in singers.
The first insider said he was “shocked” at the proposal: “Never in a million years have I heard something so crazy,” he said. “That was the moment I almost dropped the phone.”
Among those who have publicly said they are NOT performing at the inauguration are: Garth Brooks, Idina Menzel, Chainsmokers and Elton John.
Your move, Kanye West.
A spokesperson for Trump’s team did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.