If you’ve spent any time watching a rally over the last few years, you’ve seen it. The music kicks in, those bright horns blaring, and suddenly a 70-something-year-old man is rocking his hips and doing a subdued double-fist pump. It’s "Y.M.C.A." by the Village People. It’s basically the unofficial anthem of the MAGA movement.
But why? Honestly, it’s one of the weirder crossovers in political history. You have a 1978 disco track—widely regarded as a massive gay anthem—being blasted at events for a conservative base that isn't exactly known for its love of 70s club culture.
The "USMCA" Connection and the 2018 Spark
It didn't just happen overnight. Most people think it started with the dancing in 2020, but the seeds were planted earlier. Back in 2018, Trump was busy touting the new trade deal between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. He called it the USMCA.
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During a speech, he literally joked about the name. "The USMCA! Like the song YMCA," he explained, even singing a bit of the chorus. It was a dad joke that landed. Hard.
From there, the song started creeping into the rally playlists. By the time 2020 rolled around, especially after he recovered from COVID-19, it became his "victory lap" music. He needed something high-energy to show he was back. The "Y.M.C.A." provided that 126 BPM (beats per minute) drive that gets a crowd moving, even if they’re just standing in a field in Pennsylvania.
That Signature "Trump Dance"
The dance itself is what made it a global phenomenon. It’s not the traditional "Y-M-C-A" arm movements. Trump’s version involves:
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- Subdued, rhythmic fist pumps.
- A side-to-side hip sway.
- Occasionally, a pantomime golf swing (which he added more frequently during the 2024 and 2025 events).
It’s been parodied, mocked, and celebrated. But by 2024 and 2026, it moved beyond politics. You saw NFL players like Nick Bosa and Brock Bowers doing it. Even soccer star Christian Pulisic broke it out after a goal. It became a piece of cultural shorthand for "winning" or "feeling good," divorced from the lyrics’ original context.
The Village People’s Surprising Response
You’d think the band would be furious. For a long time, Victor Willis, the lead singer and "cop" of the group, was kinda back and forth. There were cease-and-desist letters. There were social media rants.
But by late 2024, the tune changed. Why? Money and relevance. Willis admitted the song saw a massive resurgence, even hitting #1 on Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart decades after its release. He reportedly realized Trump "genuinely likes" the song and "is having a lot of fun with it."
The financial benefits were huge—estimated in the millions of dollars. By the 2025 inauguration, the relationship had done a total 180. A version of the Village People actually performed live at the inaugural events.
The Irony of the "Gay Anthem" Label
Here is where it gets sticky. To the LGBTQ+ community, "Y.M.C.A." is a legendary anthem about "cruising" and the subculture of 70s New York. To Trump’s base, it’s a song about the Young Men’s Christian Association and "hanging out with the boys" in a wholesome, athletic way.
Victor Willis himself has threatened to sue news outlets that call it a gay anthem. He insists he wrote it about his youth in San Francisco, playing basketball and getting "cheap food" at the Y.
"It was not written to be a gay song because of the simple fact I’m not gay," Willis told News Corp. "I wanted to write a song that could fit anyone’s lifestyle."
Whether you believe that or not, the "death of the author" theory is in full effect here. The meaning has been totally overwritten by its new usage. For a MAGA supporter, the song doesn't represent the West Village; it represents the energy of a rally.
Why It Still Matters in 2026
We’re seeing the song used in places no one expected. At the 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw, Trump even did the dance on stage with international leaders. It has become a brand.
It works for him because it’s "un-cancelable" kitsch. It’s a song everyone knows, it’s impossible not to tap your foot to, and it projects a sense of lightheartedness that softens his often aggressive political rhetoric.
If you're trying to understand the appeal, look at it as a form of nostalgia branding. It links a 70s childhood/young adulthood for many voters to a modern political identity. It’s catchy, it’s slightly ridiculous, and it’s now inseparable from the image of the 45th and 47th President.
What you can do next:
If you're interested in the intersection of pop culture and politics, look into how other artists—like Lee Greenwood or Kid Rock—have seen similar "chart bumps" following political endorsements. You can also track the song's royalty data on platforms like ASCAP to see how public performances at large-scale events impact an artist's bottom line.