Trump honors Village People and ‘Y.M.C.A.’ singer Victor Willis after death announcement

President Donald Trump mourned Village People singer Victor Willis, who died at 74.

Trump, who has turned the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” into his theme song, voiced his condolences to the music group and his family.

“He was a great and happy guy who loved that I used his groups song, YMCA, at my Rallies. It became a ‘monster’ hit, again, 30 years after its original launch. 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!” he said in a post on Truth Social.

“They loved the action, and we loved them and their great and uplifting song. We will think of Victor every time YMCA is played, like today, and all throughout this July Fourth Birthday week. My condolences to his wonderful family and group, Victor Willis will be sorely missed, God Bless Him!!!” Trump concluded.

Victor Willis of the Village People performs during the Festival d’ete de Quebec on Thursday, July 11, 2019, in Quebec City, Canada. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

The singer’s death was announced early Wednesday by his family.

“It is with profound sadness that I must announce the death of my husband, VICTOR WILLIS.  Victor passed away on Tuesday June 30, 2026 as a result of a short, but aggressive illness. The family request privacy at this time of great loss,” his wife said in a statement on his Facebook.

Trump and Willis had a complicated relationship over the years over the president’s love of “YMCA” and “Macho Man,” but the two were friendly by the time of Willis’s death.

Trump and the Village People experienced a rocky patch in 2020, when Willis asked him to stop using their music. Tensions flared up again in 2023, when the band sent a cease-and-desist letter ordering Trump to stop using their music again.

Trump and Willis turned over a new leaf after Trump’s electoral victory in 2024, when Willis issued a lengthy and spirited defense of the then-president-elect. He clarified that he only asked Trump to “stop using Y.M.C.A. because his use had become a nuisance” to him since 2020 due to “the thousands” of fan complaints. However, he noticed that Trump seemed to “genuinely like Y.M.C.A. and he’s having a lot of fun with it,” and was bothered by other artists blocking Trump’s use of their songs.

“As such, I simply didn’t have the heart to prevent his continued use of my song in the face of so many artists withdrawing his use of their material,” he said, referring to the performance rights organization responsible for the group. “So I told my wife to inform BMI to not withdraw the Trump campaign political use license.”

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“The financial benefits have been great as well as Y.M.C.A. is estimated to gross several million dollars since the President Elect’s continued use of the song,” Willis added. “Therefore, I’m glad I allowed the President Elect’s continued use of Y.M.C.A. And I thank him for choosing to use my song.”

The conciliatory post culminated in Willis and the Village People performing at several events during Trump’s inauguration weekend, including a memorable scene at his pre-inauguration rally where they danced onstage with the president.

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