Representatives Stunned As National Guard Specialist Sings “Amazing Grace” In The U.S. Capitol Rotunda

Singing in the Capitol Rotunda, National Guard Specialist Madeline Douglas took advantage of the space's acoustics for a performance of "Amazing Grace." (Photo credit: Tomasz Zielonka / Unsplash, and Rep. Rudy Yakym / X)

Specialist Madeline Douglas Sang “Amazing Grace” In The Rotunda Of “The People’s House”

The U.S. Capitol is an awe-inspiring space, calling upon those who step within its walls to consider the grand calling of governing a people by the people. With that, it’s known as “The People’s House.”

One of the most breathtaking spaces in the Capitol is the Rotunda, which is the room within the building’s dome.

It turns out that the space also has one-of-a-kind acoustics, which were recently put to the test.

Just one day before President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address, Rep. Rudy Yakym, R-IN, shared a video on Feb. 23 on X, formerly Twitter, of Madeline Douglas, a National Guard specialist who was “deployed in Washington with the Indiana National Guard.”

Standing in the Rotunda, this National Guard specialist showed off her vocal ability, singing “Amazing Grace.”

The beloved hymn, initially published in 1779 by Anglican minister John Newton, is a rare song in English that is worthy of the Rotunda’s grandeur.

In the video, Madeline’s voice reverberates through the room, joined off screen by the sounds of the voices of others joining her.

“Safe to say she left us all speechless,” Rep. Yakym said. “Thank you for sharing your incredible gift

Watch Rep. Yakym’s video of Madeline Douglas singing “Amazing Grace” in the Capitol Rotunda, here:

Specialist Madeline Douglas, who's deployed in Washington with the Indiana National Guard, asked to sing Amazing Grace in the Capitol Rotunda. Safe to say she left us all speechless.

Thank you for sharing your incredible gift🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/00PE7cpvYW
— Congressman Rudy Yakym (@RepRudyYakym) February 24, 2026

Construction on the Capitol Rotunda began in 1818, following the fire set by the British to the site of the Capitol building in 1814. By 1824, the Rotunda was complete.

According to the Architect of the Capitol website, “[The Rotunda was] conceived in the age of neoclassicism … [and] was intended to recall the Pantheon, the ancient Roman temple.”