Yahoo Lifestyle Army Choir Performs “Les Mis” Anthem About Protesting the King for Trump. The Internet Has Questions
Governors Ball attendees heard a rendition of "Do You Hear the People Sing?" at the White House over the weekend — a protest anthem about resisting an oppressive government
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Donald Trump at the 2025 National Governors Association dinner; the U.S. Army Chorus in 2018The U.S. Army Chorus left the internet with questions after performing an unexpected song at the 2025 White House Governors Ball.
The event, which took place at the White House on Saturday, Feb. 22, saw the choir singing "Do You Hear the People Sing?" from the hit 1980 musical Les Misérables. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were both in attendance.
The song, now considered a protest anthem, is about a social revolution in which French proletarians stand against the ruling class — in this case, an oppressive monarchy. The lyrics include, "Do you hear the people sing? / Singing the song of angry men?/ It is the music of the people / Who will not be slaves again!"
Some quickly interpreted the song choice to be a slight at the Trump administration, particularly after he declared himself "the king" in a social media post depicting a fictionalized Time magazine cover earlier that week.
Related: Donald Trump Calls Himself ‘the King’ as White House Shares Fake Time Cover of Him
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Donald Trump during the National Governors Association dinner and reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 22, 2025Dan Scavino, White House Deputy Chief of Staff, shared a video of the choir performance on X, writing, "It was a great honor to attend this evenings Governors Ball at the @WhiteHouse, hosted by @FLOTUS Melania and @POTUS @realDonaldTrump—thank you!"
Democratic Rep. James P. McGovern from Massachusetts responded to the post and pointed out the irony: "They picked Les Mis—a musical about standing up to tyranny. They protested you at your own event and you were too stupid to get it."
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But despite speculation that the Army Chorus intentionally dissed Trump at the Governors Ball, it is unlikely that the Les Mis number was chosen to spite the current administration.
In fact, Trump seems to be a fan of the song, incorporating it into his 2016 and 2024 presidential campaigns. The Guardian reported in 2022 that the politician "bizarrely" blasted the song ahead of announcing his 2024 candidacy.
Trump also previously came under fire by the people behind the original stage musical for using the song at a 2016 campaign event in Miami.
Producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh and the co-creators of Les Mis released a joint statement to make their disapproval known of its use in Trump’s politics.
"The authors of Les Misérables were not asked for permission and did not authorise or endorse usage of 'Do You Hear the People Sing?' at last [week’s] Trump rally in Miami, and have never done so for any of the songs from the musical for this or any other political event,” they wrote, per The Guardian.
Mackintosh's statement continued, "As the musical’s popularity and universal message have been part of international popular culture for more than 30 years now, countless political and social movements around the world, including the first Bill Clinton and Obama campaigns, have independently embraced songs from the musical as a rallying cry for their own cause."
According to The Guardian, the song has been used in protests in mainland China and Hong Kong.
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