After Beyoncé agreed to perform during festivities for former President George W. Bush’s first inauguration in 2001, she rode out the backlash. Years later, the pop star and her mother said in an interview that Beyoncé, still appearing as part of the R&B group Destiny’s Child at the time of the inauguration, did it for the children.

“He’s our president,” Beyoncé said of Bush. “He told us that we have a bigger influence on kids than he does a lot of the time, and he appreciates that we’re positive role models.”