How YMCA Became Trump's Unlikely Campaign Anthem Despite Backlash
Donald Trump has made the 1978 disco hit YMCA a staple of his political appearances. Over 110 of his 2024 campaign rallies ended with the song and its signature dance moves. The track, originally performed by the Village People, even featured at his 2025 inauguration celebrations.
Yet the song’s use has not gone unchallenged. Legal warnings and criticism from the band’s former members have followed its repeated appearances at Trump events. The Village People released YMCA in 1978 as a high-energy disco anthem. Its lyrics, widely interpreted as referencing gay men meeting at the Young Men’s Christian Association, became an instant cultural phenomenon. Decades later, the song took on new life as the closing act for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
By 2023, tensions arose when the Village People’s manager sent a cease-and-desist letter demanding Trump stop playing their music. Former member Jim Newman later stated that the original group would never agree to perform at a Trump rally. Despite this, a version of the band appeared at Trump’s 2025 inauguration, performing YMCA live.
The song’s role in Trump’s events has also caused friction at home. Melania Trump, though having danced to YMCA herself in the past, reportedly dislikes her husband’s rendition. Trump has admitted she finds his routine ‘not presidential’, yet he continued the tradition—most recently at a 2025 rally in Florida’s The Villages retirement community. The repeated use of YMCA has cemented its place in Trump’s political branding. Legal disputes and family disapproval have done little to stop its appearances. For now, the disco classic remains a fixture at his public events.
