President-elect Donald Trump made a light-hearted jab at the Village People on Sunday, moments before the legendary disco group performed at his rally on the eve of his inauguration.
"But you have a little special treat," Trump said, speaking at the rally at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., adding: "They're slightly larger than they used to be, but that's the way it goes. We can all tell you, that's the way life goes."
Newsweek has contacted Trump's transition team and a spokesperson for the Village People via email for comment.
Why It Matters
The Village People's hit song "Y.M.C.A." has been a staple of Trump's events playlist for several years.
The band, known for its 1970s hit songs and elaborate costumes targeted at disco's large gay audience is an unlikely pairing with Trump, due to the Republican Party's anti-LGBTQ+ stance on several issues.
What to Know
Trump's remarks came during his Make America Great Again Victory Rally at Washington's Capital One Arena, where he celebrated his upcoming inauguration and pointed out his involvement at re-popularizing the group's hit song.
"But you have a little special treat, and I won't tell you, but let's put it this way," Trump said. "It's the people that, 30 years ago, had a hot song, never hit number one, it hit number five, but 30 years later, it hit number one, week after week. And they're here to sing," he said.
The song actually came out about 46 years ago, in October 1978 and reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1979. In 2024, Trump's frequent use of the song drove it to No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Digital Song Sales Chart, where it stayed for five weeks.
"You won't recognize them," Trump said at the rally. "They're slightly larger than they used to be, but that's the way it goes. We can all tell you, that's the way life goes. Nothing we can do about that."
The clip of the moment was posted to X Sunday by @Acyn, a senior digital editor for the liberal news site MeidasTouch, garnering 144,100 views by Monday morning.
The Village People were dressed as a construction worker, in a leather fetish costume, as a police officer, and as a Native American.
Brian Lilley, a political columnist for the Toronto Sun, shared footage of the rally's conclusion and the Village People's full performance on X, which had been viewed over 2.4 million times by Monday morning.
This is the wildest end to a political rally I've ever seen.
Trump ends with his rallying cry and then is joined on stage by The Village People and he dances with them. pic.twitter.com/tXFOsjCVhs
In the past, Victor Willis, the group's lead singer, expressed opposition to Trump's use of their music, but later allowed it, citing the joy it brought to audiences.
What People Are Saying
President-elect Donald Trump said at the rally: "You won't recognize them. They're slightly larger than they used to be, but that's the way it goes. We can all tell you, that's the way life goes. Nothing we can do about that."
Brian Lilley, political columnist: "This is the wildest end to a political rally I've ever seen."
George Takei, former Star Trek actor, Democrat supporter and LGBTQ+ activist, on Bluesky: "At this point, perhaps they should rename themselves "The Villages People."
What Happens Next
Thousands of supporters have traveled to the nation's capital to attend inauguration today, but Trump has requested that the ceremony be moved inside the Capitol due to extremely cold weather.
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