Trump praises tenor Christopher Macchio for World Cup performance

Trump the president said the classical-crossover vocalist “took the house down” during the World Cup, calling the singer amazing in a Truth Social post.

First Published: July 19, 2026, 4:58 PM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald Trump praised opera singer Christopher Macchio for a World Cup performance in a Truth Social post on July 19, 2026 at 8:38 PM ET.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “Christopher Maccio, the Great Opera Singer, was AMAZING at the World Cup today — He “took the house down!” Trump”

Macchio is an international classical-crossover vocalist known for sold-out concerts as one of the three New York Tenors at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center according to christophermacchio.com. He trained at the Manhattan School of Music Conservatory, where he starred in Vincenzo Bellini’s I Puritani, and made his professional debut in a PBS-TV concert special according to tseentertainment.com. He performs in more than a dozen languages and has released two solo albums according to tseentertainment.com.

The praise adds to a long working relationship between the singer and the president. Macchio performed the U.S. National Anthem at the 47th Presidential Inauguration and sang at Trump’s return rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. He serenaded Trump and First Lady Melania with “New York, New York” at Madison Square Garden according to christophermacchio.com. He performed “Nessun Dorma,” “Ave Maria,” and “America the Beautiful” at the 2020 Republican National Convention according to christophermacchio.com.

The endorsement carries weight for a performer whose profile has risen alongside his appearances at national events. A presidential shout-out reaches millions of readers and can drive concert demand for a vocalist who tours across North America, Europe, and the Middle East according to christophermacchio.com.

Has this happened before? This is not the first time Trump has singled out the tenor. Macchio has appeared at multiple Trump events since the 2024 election cycle, including a private victory gala at Mar-a-Lago where he invited the president-elect and Elon Musk on stage for a trio of “God Bless America” according to christophermacchio.com.

Trump devotes a steady share of his posts to praise and tributes. In the last 30 days, 20 of 474 Trump posts fell under the topic “Personal Praise, Greetings & Tributes,” according to Zenger analysis of Truth Social posts.

No further public statement or event tied to the performance has been announced, and a date for any follow-up appearance has not been set.

Presidents pairing patriotic ceremony with celebrated tenors is not new. Enrico Caruso, the Italian tenor who dominated the Metropolitan Opera in the early 20th century, sang for war-bond drives during World War I and drew crowds numbering in the thousands. His performances raised millions for the U.S. Treasury and cemented the tenor voice as a fixture of American public life, a tradition Macchio now continues on the modern political stage.