U.S. President Donald Trump stated that his dance moves to the Village People's 'Y.M.C.A.' drove the song's resurgence on Billboard charts. He made the remarks during a speech at a Florida retirement community on May 1. The track topped a Billboard chart in late 2024 amid his presidential campaign.
Speaking at The Villages retirement community in Florida on Friday, May 1, President Donald Trump credited his performances of the Village People's 'Y.M.C.A.' dance for the 1978 disco hit's chart success. The song reached No. 1 on Billboard's Top Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart for two weeks in November 2024, more than four decades after peaking at No. 2 on the Hot 100. Trump remarked, “That song was No. 5 32 years ago, and it went to No. 1 32 years later.” He added that it held the top spot “for months during the last months of the campaign,” though records show two weeks there. Trump called the track the “gay national anthem,” a label he repeated while noting his wife Melania's disapproval of his dancing. “She hates when I dance to what is sometimes referred to as the gay national anthem,” Trump said. “She goes, ‘Darling, please don’t dance. It’s not presidential.’” Village People founder Victor Willis permitted the song's use at Trump's 2024 campaign rallies after initially objecting in 2020. In a December 2024 Facebook post, Willis wrote that Trump seemed to “genuinely like” the song and was “having a lot of fun” with it. “Therefore, I’m glad I allowed the President Elect’s continued use of Y.M.C.A.,” Willis stated. “And I thank him for choosing to use my song.” He noted the tune had “benefited greatly” in sales and placements. Trump concluded his speech by performing his signature dance—fist pumps and hip shakes—as 'Y.M.C.A.' played.