Topline
President Donald Trump honored Victor Willis, writer-singer behind the Village People’s 1970s hit “Y.M.C.A.,” in a post on Truth Social after the band announced Willis’ death Wednesday, as Trump has played the song at his rallies for years—despite the Village People once sending him a cease-and-desist.
Trump has long played “Y.M.C.A.” at his rallies, and his signature “Trump dance” went viral during his 2024 campaign. (Photo by Mandel NGAN – Pool/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Key Facts
Trump praised Willis as a “great and happy guy who loved that I used his groups song, YMCA, at my Rallies,” saying Willis and the Village People were “there for us right from the beginning.”
Willis, though, voiced his opposition to Trump using “Y.M.C.A.” multiple times, before admitting to Billboard in 2024 he would allow Trump to keep using it throughout his presidential campaign because the song had shot back up Billboard’s digital songs chart.
Willis first urged Trump to stop using “Y.M.C.A.” in 2020 after Trump threatened to use military force to stop protests that broke out following the police killing of George Floyd: “I can no longer look the other way,” Willis said in a Facebook post.
In 2023, Willis’ wife and the Village People’s manager, Karen Willis, sent Trump a cease-and-desist after he was captured on video dancing to “Y.M.C.A.” with people dressed as the Village People at Mar-a-Lago, saying the performance caused fans to erroneously believe the band had endorsed him.
The band again criticized Trump for sharing an AI video of former President Barack Obama being arrested while “Y.M.C.A.” played in July 2025, saying in a statement the song should not be “used for political endorsements of any kind.”
Willis never endorsed Trump’s candidacy, and though he eventually gave Trump permission to use “Y.M.C.A.” for his campaign in 2024, he clarified on Facebook his preferred candidate was former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Why Did Victor Willis Let Trump Use “Y.M.C.A.”?
In a July 2024 post on Facebook, Willis admitted he wished the Trump campaign would “not use ‘Y.M.C.A.’ in any respect and I have let this be known,” but he clarified the campaign was not violating copyright law because they had the proper license to use it. Willis clarified his position again in December 2024, saying he ultimately decided to let Trump keep using the song because he seemed to genuinely like it and because many other artists had demanded Trump stop using their songs. Willis said he was “glad” he let Trump use the song because it was “estimated to gross several million dollars” since Trump made it a staple at his rallies, noting it had also climbed some Billboard charts decades after its release.
surprising fact
Willis and the Village People performed “Y.M.C.A.” at a Trump rally before his second presidential inauguration. Ahead of the performance, Willis said on Facebook the gig was not an endorsement of Trump’s policies, clarifying he had supported Harris in the election. Jim Newman, an original member of the Village People, noted Willis was the only founding member of the band who remained active and performed at Trump’s rally, saying the original band would “never, ever perform at a Trump rally” or give him permission to use the band’s songs.
what has trump said about “y.m.c.a.”?
Trump has used “Y.M.C.A.” at his rallies for years and has hailed it as one of his favorite songs. He called it his go-to song to play at Mar-a-Lago parties in 2022, saying it “gets people up and it gets them moving.” The dance Trump typically performed at his rallies to “Y.M.C.A.,” involving him rocking his fists back and forth, became known as the “Trump dance” and went viral during his 2024 campaign. In May, Trump said First Lady Melania Trump “hates when I dance to what’s sometimes referred to as ‘the gay national anthem,’” referring to “Y.M.C.A.,” which has long been considered a gay anthem, a label Willis has rejected.
news peg
Willis died on Tuesday following “a short, but aggressive illness,” his wife Karen posted on his Facebook account Wednesday morning. Willis was 74, and he died one day before his 75th birthday.
further reading
Village People Perform At Trump Rally—After Once Sending Trump Cease-And-Desist Letter (Forbes)