Donald Trump Pays Tribute to Victor Willis After Village People Singer’s Death, Claiming He Loved YMCA at Rallies

Victor Willis, the unmistakable voice of the Village People and the man who helped write and sing some of disco’s most lasting hits, has died at 74. The band announced the news on social media Wednesday, saying he passed away the day before after a short but aggressive illness. They asked for privacy as his family and loved ones grieve.

Willis was right at the center of the group’s rise in the late 1970s. He co-wrote and delivered the lead vocals on YMCA, Macho Man, In the Navy, and Go West, songs that turned the Village People into a global phenomenon. On stage he moved between the police officer and naval officer characters, bringing that high-energy performance style that made crowds go wild night after night.

President Donald Trump posted a lengthy tribute on Truth Social not long after the announcement. He offered condolences to Willis’s family and the rest of the group, but he also made a direct claim about how the late singer had felt about Trump’s long-running use of YMCA at his rallies.

Trump described Willis as a great and happy guy who loved seeing the song featured at those events. He said it became a “monster” hit again decades after it first came out, credited the massive rally crowds with reviving interest in the track, and stated that the Village People had been supportive from the beginning. Trump added that he would think of Willis every time the song played, including throughout the July Fourth period.

That version of events has left some people raising their eyebrows. Back in 2020, Willis himself told the BBC that while the band had benefited from the exposure, they had never endorsed Trump and had actually asked him to stop playing their music at the rallies.

Over the years plenty of other major artists, from Aerosmith and Adele to Elton John and Guns N’ Roses, have made similar requests, not wanting their songs tied to Trump’s events. Yet YMCA has stayed a regular part of the rally playlist, with Trump often breaking into his signature stiff-armed dance as the crowd sings along.

The contrast between Trump’s warm recollection and the earlier public pushback from Willis is what has people talking. For many fans, the song remains a joyful disco classic first and foremost. For others, its second life as a political rally staple has always carried a complicated edge.