President Donald Trump posted a tribute Wednesday to Village People lead singer Victor Willis, who passed away at 74 after what was described as a short but aggressive illness. Trump called Willis a "great and happy guy" and said the disco legend's signature hit "Y.M.C.A." will now carry an even deeper meaning for him, as Trending Politics reported.
Look, if you told someone in 1978 that "Y.M.C.A." would one day become the anthem of a Republican president's political movement, they would have asked what was in your drink. And yet here we are. The song went from wedding reception staple to political rally staple, which honestly might be the most impressive second act in music history.
Trump said Willis and the Village People were "there for us right from the beginning ... they loved the action and we loved them and their great and uplifting song." He also took a little credit for the song's revival, saying he helped turn "Y.M.C.A" into a "monster" hit again by playing it before massive crowds at his events. That is technically not wrong. Before Trump started doing his signature dance to it, most people under 30 probably thought it was just something their parents embarrassed themselves to at cookouts.
The president said he planned to blast the track Wednesday and keep it on repeat this week as July 4 celebrations and the nation's 250th birthday festivities approach. So if you are anywhere near the White House this week and hear disco thumping through the walls, now you know why.
Willis was a founding member of Village People and co-wrote "Y.M.C.A." along with other late 1970s hits including "Macho Man," "In The Navy," and "Go West." His booming vocals and police officer stage persona helped make the group a pop culture fixture that outlasted the entire disco era. That is no small feat considering disco got so unpopular that a Chicago radio station once blew up a crate of disco records at a baseball game.
In recent years, the Village People performed during Trump's 2025 inauguration festivities, a move Willis defended at the time as apolitical. That is a diplomatic answer if there ever was one. Playing for a presidential inauguration and calling it apolitical is like playing at a Super Bowl halftime show and insisting you are not really into football.
Trump closed his tribute with condolences: "My condolences to his wonderful family and group, Victor Willis will be sorely missed, God Bless Him!!!"
Say what you will about the unlikely pairing of a disco legend and a MAGA president, but Willis gave millions of people a reason to get up and move, whether at a dance club in 1978 or a rally in 2024. That is a legacy most artists would kill for.
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