Donald Trump is claiming that his dance moves to the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” helped drive a resurgence of the song on the Billboard charts.
During a speaking engagement at The Villages retirement community in Florida on Friday (May 1), the U.S. president took credit for the 1970s smash hit topping Billboard’s Top Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart in late 2024, more than four decades after its original release.
“That song was No. 5 32 years ago, and it went to No. 1 32 years later,” Trump incorrectly stated during his speech. “It went to No. 1 for months during the last months of the campaign.”
The ubiquitous disco-era track — described by Trump as the “gay national anthem” — was frequently used during his 2024 presidential campaign and spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Top Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart that November. Following its original release in late 1978, “Y.M.C.A.” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In December 2024, Village People founder Victor Willis spoke out about why he allowed Trump to use “Y.M.C.A.” at rallies and events leading up to his election win. The musician originally asked Trump to stop using the song in 2020 but later reconsidered after realizing that the politician seemed to “genuinely like” it and was “having a lot of fun” with “Y.M.C.A.,” he wrote in a lengthy Facebook post in late 2024. Willis also noted that the dance tune has only “benefited greatly” in terms of chart placements and sales since Trump incorporated it into his campaign.
“Therefore, I’m glad I allowed the President Elect’s continued use of Y.M.C.A.,” Willis wrote. “And I thank him for choosing to use my song.”
During his speech on Friday, Trump also noted that his wife, Melania Trump, isn’t a fan of his onstage reaction to “Y.M.C.A.” “She hates when I dance to what is sometimes referred to as the gay national anthem,” the president said. “She hates it.”
He added, “We love that song. But [Melania] goes, ‘Darling, please.’ You know, she’s a very elegant woman. She goes, ‘Darling, please don’t dance. It’s not presidential.’ I said, ‘It may not be presidential, but I’m leading by 20 points in the polls or something.’ ”
Trump ended his speech by showcasing his signature dance — featuring fist pumps and hip shakes — as “Y.M.C.A.” played at the close of his address at the Florida retirement community.
