Watch Trump dance with Village People at pre-inauguration rally

Legendary disco group Village People pushed politics off the setlist to perform at inaugural activities for incoming President Donald Trump.

The group, whose songs "YMCA" and "Macho Man" were played at Trump campaign events, performed at two events Sunday, including a rally Sunday night where the President-elect joined the Village People onstage.

On Saturday, the group announced the inaugural performances on its official Facebook page, telling fans they "will perform for both Democrats and Republicans."

Village People were not a political group, they said in the post. "Never has been, never will be no matter how hard some of you out there are trying very hard to make us such. We perform without regard to politics. And Village People will not take on one group's political issues."

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Sunday's collaboration could be repeated when the group plays the official Liberty Ball, one of three official inaugural balls taking place Monday at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Also scheduled to perform there: rapper and three-time Grammy award-winning artist Nelly and country singer Jason Aldean.

Snoop Dogg also performed Friday at the Inaugural Crypto Ball in Washington, D.C., where cryptocurrency executives celebrated the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

Village People fans told group 'we're not gonna listen' after decision to play Trump's inauguration

But the Village People's decision to perform at Trump's events wasn't appreciated by all of its fan base, some of whom years ago adopted "Y.M.C.A" as a gay anthem.

"On my Facebook comments, I get so many people saying, 'We're not gonna listen to your music anymore,' and all kinds of stuff," Victor Willis, a group founder who co-wrote "Y.M.C.A." with producer Jacques Morali, told National Public Radio in an interview published Monday.

When he was asked why the group decided to perform at Trump's inaugural events, Willis told NPR "We're trying to make people come together and unite the country, and regardless if you didn't vote for him," said Willis, the lead singer who dresses as the policeman.

The lone remaining original member of the group, he left Village People in 1979 but returned in 2017. "Basically, I'm a Democrat. We lost, so … we have to put that aside and it was time for everybody to get behind the president-elect," he told NPR.

At one point, Willis and Village People were among the lineup of artists – including the Rolling Stones and Rihanna – who objected to Trump's use of their music at events.

After police dispersed a crowd in Lafayette Square for then-President Trump's appearance at St. John's Episcopal Church on June 1, 2020, Willis asked Trump not to use the songs, The Washington Post reported. “Sorry, but I can no longer look the other way,” Willis wrote on Facebook at the time.

Then, in May 2023, band manager Karen Willis, wife of Victor Willis, sent a cease-and-desist letter to Trump’s lawyer seeking an end to the use of the group's music after a video of Trump dancing to “Macho Man” appeared on social media, Rolling Stone reported at the time.

But Trump's use of the band's music has "brought a lot of joy to the American people with his use of Y.M.C.A.," Willis posted on Facebook last week. "And you want Village People to push all that aside and not perform at his inauguration? NEGATIVE! … We're doing the right thing by performing and keeping political views out of this. So, please stop pushing your political views onto Village People."

As for Trump's dancing, Willis told NPR he'd be happy to share the stage with Trump. "We have our way of doing 'Y.M.C.A.' If he's standing next to me, I might do the little move with him – his moves," he said.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump dances with Village People at pre-inauguration rally: See video