President Donald Trump has claimed his wife Melania dislikes his frequent dances to the Village People's YMCA at campaign events, a song he labels the 'gay national anthem'. According to music charts, the track surged to number one during the week of November 17, 2024.
On the campaign trail, Trump frequently performed the dance and credited his use for boosting its popularity. He has also referred to the song as the 'gay national anthem'.
She hates when I dance to what's sometimes referred to as the gay national anthem.
Trump joked that Melania 'hates' when he dances to YMCA and begs him to stop. He relayed that she described his moves as 'unpresidential'. In a Fox News interview in January, Melania herself stated she only likes the song 'at certain times' and that it's not always appropriate.
According to band history, the Village People formed in 1978 and gained a following among the gay community. Their album 'Cruisin'', which includes YMCA, sold over 12 million copies and was preserved by the National Recording Registry of the US Library of Congress in 2020, per sales records and the Library of Congress. Co-writer Victor Willis, however, refuted the gay anthem interpretation in a 2024 social media statement. Willis said the assumption is false and based solely on the fact that some writers and members of the group were gay.
We love that song.