US President-elect Donald Trump closed his pre-inaugural ceremonies in style, with a raucous campaign-style "Make America Great Again Victory Rally" in Washington on Sunday, where he showed his iconic dance move as Village People performed their disco hit "Y.M.C.A."
Village People's hit track from 1978 has become somewhat of an anthem for MAGA supporters and has closed out nearly all 78-year-old Republican's campaign rallies. The Sunday event was no exception, with Trump shimmying and occasionally singing along as he stood behind crew members of Village People while they performed the song.
He also showed off his now-famous dance move, where he clapped his hands and swayed, as he took up the job of the seventh member of the Village People on stage.
🚨 NOW: President Trump is dancing to YMCA ON STAGE with the Village People
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 19, 2025
This is incredible! 🤣 pic.twitter.com/BIcIJyudr5
The Village People's performance came as a surprise to many after the band sent a cease-and-desist letter to Mr Trump in 2023 after their popular single "Macho Man" was played at a Mar-a-Lago event. They also endorsed the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
However, when it was announced that Village People would perform at the event, the all-male group wrote in a statement posted on its official Facebook, "We know this won't make some of you happy to hear, but we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics."
"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," it added.
Known for their flamboyant onstage personas and infectious dance-pop hits, the Village People rose to fame in the late 1970s - particularly with their anthem "Y.M.C.A". Over the years, the song became synonymous with gay pride.
But the song's origin story does not seem to matter to the MAGA (make America great again) supporters, who like Donald Trump view music as theme songs, fight songs, and soundtracks for memories more than works of art.
The MAGA event marked Mr Trump's first major address in Washington since his speech on January 6, 2021, that preceded the storming of the US Capitol by an angry mob of his supporters. He has said he will pardon many of the more than 1,500 people convicted or charged in connection with the attack.
Trump's rally, along with his inaugural address on Monday, could preview the tone he plans to adopt during his second White House term. In recent weeks, Trump has bewildered foreign allies by musing aloud about taking over Greenland and the Panama Canal and turning Canada into a US state.
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