Donald Trump Uses Death of Village People's Victor Willis to Praise His Own Rallies

President Donald Trump issued a public tribute to original Village People member Victor Willis following the singer's death at age 74 on June 30, and instead of just offering condolences, turned the memorial into an ad for his own rallies.

In his statement on Truth Social, Trump praised Willis as a "great and happy guy" and claimed the singer "loved" that Trump used the iconic 1978 disco hit "Y.M.C.A." as the closing theme song and dance soundtrack at his political rallies.

"Many singers and groups wanted to get on board at the Rallies after all of the Rally Attendance Records were set - The crowds were, and are, enormous - But Victor and the group was there for us right from the beginning!" Trump boasted.

Following the announcement of Willis's passing from a brief illness, Trump extended condolences to his family.

"We will think of Victor every time 'YMCA' is played, like today, and all throughout this July Fourth Birthday week,” he wrote.

Observers and media reports noted that Trump used the moment to highlight his own rally attendance records, asserting Village People had stood by his campaign "right from the beginning" before other artists sought the spotlight.

While Trump's tribute celebrated the song's long-term presence at his events, the relationship between Trump and Willis was historically complex and evolved significantly over time.

Willis originally opposed Trump playing the track. In 2020, following the police killing of George Floyd, Willis posted on Facebook urging Trump to stop.

He explicitly stated to the BBC that neither he nor Village People endorsed Trump.

However, because of political use licenses obtained through copyright organizations like BMI, the campaign was legally permitted to continue playing it.

As the 2024 campaign ramped up, Willis' team went a step further by issuing a legal cease-and-desist letter to prevent further unauthorized usage of their music.

Willis eventually reversed course. He shared on Facebook that he chose not to withdraw permission because he recognized Trump genuinely enjoyed the song.

Willis eventually admitted that the ongoing rally exposure significantly revitalized the track, driving "Y.M.C.A." to number one on a Billboard digital chart for the first time in 45 years and generating millions of dollars in revenue.

Solidifying this shifted stance, Willis and the current iteration of Village People agreed to perform live at Trump's pre-inauguration events in January 2025.

Willis explained the decision in non-political terms, framing music as a universal tool meant to help unite the country.