THIS is the moment a singer swore on live TV after hitting the wrong note as she sang the US national anthem before a presidential debate.
Singer Loomis took to the stage to sing the Star-Spangled Banner as three third-party candidates prepared to go head-to-head in a debate ahead of the election.
The Free & Equal Presidential Debate in Los Angeles was broadcast on C-Span and by several other outlets.
A viral moment from the night came before the debate even started when Loomis got flustered after hitting a bum note and asking if she could start the national anthem again while on live TV.
The cringe-worthy moment happened as she sang the line “and the rocket’s red glare”.
She begged into the microphone with her eyes closed: “I f****d it up. I f****d it up. Can I go back, can I go back please?”
As her voice began to break with emotion, a man off-stage told her: “You can’t, we’re live.”
With her hand up to her ear, Loomis turned to the man in shock as she realised what she had done on air before immediately picking up where she left off.
However, just moments later she stopped singing again saying: “I got too nervous.”
As she finished the song, Green Party candidate Jill Stein, Libertarian Chase Oliver, and Constitution Party candidate Randall Terry stood behind the singer in darkness.
Loomis has since taken to social media to apologise for the performance, saying that such a “mishap” was a nightmare of hers since she was a child.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to mess up the national anthem,” she told followers in a video on Instagram over the weekend.
“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.”
In the caption, the singer admitted to having been “flustered when we went live” after arriving slightly late and not being able to hear her cue.
“I take full responsibility on my part and ask that you don’t use this incident to reflect on the artist I am and trying to be,” she said.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity and all the love and support I’ve received.
“I’m taking this as a lesson learned, and I can’t wait to come back even stronger!”
Meanwhile, over the weekend, Donald Trump addressed 20,000 supporters in New York City as he held a rally at Madison Square Garden.
During the event on Sunday, the Republican candidate launched several attacks against his rival Vice President Kamala Harris who he slammed as “grossly incompetent.”
The five-hour event featured a number of speakers including Elon Musk, Hulk Hogan, and comedian Tony Hinchcliffe.
Trump was introduced to the stage by his wife Melania, whose rare appearance surprised supporters.
The 78-year-old was also supported by other members of his family including his sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump who called his father the “King of New York.”
With just days left until the nation decides on its next president, polls continue to show a neck-and-neck race, including in the swing states.
For some, the last-minute speeches by Trump and Harris will come too late with 40 million Americans already having taken part in early voting.
Key players in the result include Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, and Nevada.
President Joe Biden’s successor could win by just tens of thousands of votes.
