President-elect Donald Trump danced alongside 1970s hitmakers Village People at a rally held in Washington the day before his inauguration.
His well-known “Trump dance” began trending online almost immediately, carrying over into Monday morning, the day he’s set to become the 47th president of the United States.
Trump brought the group on stage to close out his campaign-style “MAGA Victory Rally” at Capital One Arena on Sunday.
He danced alongside the group, clapping his hands, pumping his fists and swaying to the to their classic hit Y.M.C.A., alongside members James Kwong, Javier Perez, James Lee, J.J. Lippold, Nicholas Manelick and Victor Willis.
American disco group the Village People made a name for themselves in the late-70s for their chant-along dance-pop hits and their colourful on-stage personas. Their best known hit, Y.M.C.A. — widely considered a gay anthem — has became a staple of Trump’s rallies in the last election, along with their hit Macho Man.
During his 2024 campaign run, Trump completed over 110 rallies and would use Y.M.C.A. at each rally as he exited the stage. But first, he always danced for the crowd. He usually started with the arms, clenched fists pumping back and forth, then followed by some clapping and waving.
The Village People’s support of Trump first came as a surprise after they sent a cease-and-desist letter to the his team in 2023 after he played Macho Man at a Mar-a-Lago event.
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The program for Trump’s inauguration festivities and the Victory Rally were released on Jan. 13. Village People member Willis responded to the backlash they received to their inclusion in the festivities with an official statement on the group’s Facebook page.
“We know this won’t make some of you happy to hear however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics,” the band said in a post on its Facebook page after it was announced that they were set to perform at one of Trump’s inaugural balls and a rally.
“Our song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost. Therefore, we believe it’s now time to bring the country together with music which is why VILLAGE PEOPLE will be performing at various events as part of the 2025 Inauguration of Donald J. Trump,” the band wrote.
Closer to the date of the rally, the group posted another statement on their Facebook page addressing why they were performing at various Trump inaugural activities.
“First of all, our performances are not an endorsement of the President Elect’s policies no matter what you say to the contrary. Having said that, we do support that we have a new president now and we should all wish him well until he gives us a reason not to. But let’s give him a chance and see what he’s going to do,” the band said.
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“President Obama, Clinton and Bush will all attend the inauguration and so will President Biden, and Vice President Harris. So will Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), Jeff Bezos (Washington Post, etc.) and on and on. Are you condemning any of them? Or is it only recording artists that you believe that should not attend or perform, and that our talents should only be preserved for Democrats?” they asked.
The group continued: “Well, one man has done a lot for Village people lately. His name is Donald J. Trump. He has brought a lot of joy to the American people with his use of Y.M.C.A. And you want Village People to push all that aside and not perform at his inauguration? NEGATIVE!”
“We’re doing the right thing by performing and keeping political views out of this. So, please stop pushing your political views onto Village People,” the concluded.
The Village People weren’t the only people that performed at Trump’s MAGA style rally Sunday as Kid Rock, Billy Ray Cyrus and Lee Greenwood also took the stage. Those performing at inaugural balls include country star Carrie Underwood, rapper Nelly, country music band Rascal Flatts, country singer Jason Aldean and singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw.
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— With files from The Associated Press
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