Trump adviser says lack of celebrities at inauguration won't be a big deal: 'This is not Woodstock'

Boris Epshteyn.
(Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Donald Trump may have hosted a show called The Celebrity Apprentice for seven seasons, firing everyone from disgraced former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich to famous mom of eight Kate Gosselin, but it doesn't bother him that his inauguration team is struggling to find anyone with name recognition to participate in the festivities.

"You know, this is not Woodstock," inaugural committee communications director Boris Epshteyn told CNN's New Day on Tuesday. "It's not Summer Jam. It's not a concert. It's not about celebrities. As Donald Trump tweeted himself, it's about the people. That's what we're concentrated on." Epshteyn previously denied reports that the inaugural committee has offered A-listers everything from ambassadorships to cold, hard cash in exchange for performances, and promised entertainers will be announced soon. "We'll absolutely be rolling more out," he said. "No question about it." One performer has been confirmed: Jackie Evancho, 16, the singer who at age 10 placed second on the fifth season of America's Got Talent.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.