Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Decked out in his full policeman outfit on Saturday morning on CNN, Victor Willis, lead singer of the Village People, praised President-elect Donald Trump’s dance moves despite his version of the “Y.M.C.A.” dance veering from the original choreography.Appearing with CNN’s Michael Smerconish to discuss his change of heart on Trump using “Y.M.C.A.” at events, Willis said that Trump’s stiff, twisting moves “are his.””The moves are his…but when we do the show, we spell ‘Y.M.C.A.’ out (with our arm motions). He does what works for him, and the people like it. It’s OK. It’s an ‘A’ for me,” the disco group’s lead singer told Smerconish.In a Monday Facebook post, Willis explained that despite initially asking Trump in 2020 to stop using his group’s 1978 hit, he decided to allow it after realizing Trump’s genuine enjoyment of the song. Willis acknowledged that the song’s association with Trump’s campaign has greatly benefited its chart performance and sales. He asserted that Trump had obtained the necessary license from BMI, making his use of the song legal.In the same post, Willis also criticized the continued portrayal of “Y.M.C.A.” as a “gay anthem,” threatening legal action against media outlets that refer to it as such. He clarified that while he doesn’t mind the LGBTQ+ community embracing the song, it was never intended to convey any specific message to the gay community. The notion, he argues, is based on misconceptions about the song’s lyrics and the fact that some members of the Village People and one of its writers were gay.Willis says the song is meant for everyone and should not be narrowly categorized.Especially since Trump’s election win over Vice President Kamala Harris, a host of American athletes have imitated the president-elect’s dance moves that he breaks out as “Y.M.C.A.” plays at his rallies.Willis told Smerconish on Saturday that he appreciates the renewed popularity brought by its use in Trump’s campaign.
Victor Willis of Village People performs on stage on September 2, 2018, in Vancouver, Canada. President-elect Donald Trump dances onstage in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on October 29. Willis, lead singer of the disco group, praised Trump’s…
Victor Willis of Village People performs on stage on September 2, 2018, in Vancouver, Canada. President-elect Donald Trump dances onstage in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on October 29. Willis, lead singer of the disco group, praised Trump’s dance moves despite his version of the “Y.M.C.A.” dance veering from the original choreography.
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“The money was not really the reason that I allowed him to do it,” he said. “The reason that I allowed him to keep using ‘Y.M.C.A.’ is because he seemed to genuinely like the song, and there were so many other artists that were stopping him from playing their music. Willis added: “So I called BMI and asked them to not terminate his political use license and to let him continue using the song…because it was bringing so much joy to the American public.”Newsweek has reached out to the Trump transition team Saturday morning for comment.In June 2020, Willis demanded that Trump stop using Village People’s music after the then-president threatened military action to quell protests following the police killing of George Floyd. Three months later, a spokesperson for the Village People told Bloomberg that Willis would not sue Trump “simply out of spite,” as Willis is not a “Trump hater.” The spokesperson clarified that Willis had not granted permission for the song’s use at rallies because it was not legally required.Willis added that Trump should “at least do the ‘Y.M.C.A.’ dance while he’s at it.”While Trump continued to play “Y.M.C.A.” at his rallies during his 2024 presidential campaign, Karen Willis, the Village People’s manager and Willis’ wife, sent a cease-and-desist letter to Trump’s campaign in May 2023. The letter condemned a Mar-a-Lago performance of the group’s song “Macho Man” by impersonators dressed as the Village People, which sparked confusion and falsely implied the band’s endorsement of Trump.Karen Willis demanded that Trump cease using the band’s image and likeness, threatening legal action against the campaign for the unauthorized use of both the band’s image and music.Victor Willis said in an appearance on Fox & Friends this week that he would consider performing for Trump “because he has done so much for ‘Y.M.C.A.’ and brought so much joy to so many people with the song.”However, in the same interview and in a separate interview this week with CNN’s Laura Coates, Willis said he would “probably not” perform at Trump’s inauguration if he were asked. The group’s leader voiced support for Harris’ presidential campaign to Billboard in October.
