By Ewan Palmer
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Donald Trump has described how he likes to play the Village People's song "YMCA" during parties at his Mar–a-Lago resort, as the "gay national anthem" always proves to be a hit.
In an interview on the Full Send podcast uploaded on Wednesday, the former president was asked about what music he likes to put on while hosting events at his exclusive Florida estate.
The question came after it was reported in February that Trump would be "playing the role of disc jockey" in a message to Mar-a-Lago club members.
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Trump confirmed that he does not physically DJ, or "spin" at these parties, but that he "picks the tracks I like."
When asked what his "go to banger" is, Trump replied: "I have a lot of them. You know a song that does get people moving?—I love Broadway stuff, Phantom of the Opera and Les Mis etc—You know what gets them rocking? 'YMCA.'"
"'YMCA', the gay national anthem. Did you ever hear that? They call it the gay national anthem," he said. "But 'YMCA' gets people up and it gets them moving."
Trump added that his choice of song to follow the 1978 disco hit is "maybe" Sam & Dave's 1966 track "Hold On, I'm Comin.'"
"You know we just have a good time," he said.
Trump's love of the Village People's song has been well documented. He had previously played the track, as well as another Village People hit song, "Macho Man," during his campaign rallies and events in 2020.
After initially allowing Trump to use the songs, Victor Willis, vocalist and co-founder of the Village People, demanded Trump stop playing the tracks at his rallies after Black Lives Matter protesters in Washington, D.C., were aggressively cleared from Lafayette Square in June 2020.
The protesters were targeted with tear gas and batons allegedly, so Trump could pose for a photo opportunity at the St. John's Episcopal Church while holding a Bible.
"If Trump orders the U.S. military to fire on his own citizens (on U.S. soil), Americans will rise up in such numbers outside of the White House that he might be forced out of office prior to the election," Willis, AKA "the cop" wrote on Facebook at the time.
"Don't do it Mr. President! And I ask that you no longer use any of my music at your rallies especially 'Y.M.C.A.' and 'Macho Man.' Sorry, but I can no longer look the other way."
Despite being told to cease and desist, Trump played the track at the very end of his presidency as he boarded Air Force One for the final time at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on January 20, 2020.
In a statement to The Huffington Post, the Village People said Trump had ignored their request to stop playing their tracks at his events because "he's a bully."
The group added: "Thankfully he's now out of office, so it would seem his abusive use of our music has finally ended."
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