Admin November 19, 2024
Topline
Athletes across the NFL, UFC and the U.S. men’s soccer team have celebrated wins in recent weeks by doing a dance popularized by President-elect Donald Trump—a simple motion of pumping both fists back and forth—possibly signaling a wider embrace of Trump within the sports world, though some called it apolitical.
President-elect Donald Trump frequently performed the dance at his rallies to “Y.M.C.A.” (Photo by … [+]
Key Facts
More than a week after Trump’s presidential election victory, San Francisco 49ers player Nick Bosa—a vocal Trump supporter—hit the “Trump dance” on the field to celebrate a sack, the first viral instance of a player recreating the dance.
Bosa told reporters after the Nov. 10 game he did the dance because “all the guys wanted me to do it,” and when asked what inspired the move, replied, “I think you know the answer to that question.”
The move soon made its way to other sports, as UFC fighter Jon Jones celebrated his victory against Stipe Miocic on Saturday by performing the “Trump dance” with Trump himself watching in the audience.
On Sunday, the dance spread across the NFL: Detroit Lions defensive end Za’Darius Smith, Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers and Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley all performed the dance on the field, CNN reported.
U.S. men’s soccer team captain Christian Pulisic, alongside teammates Weston McKennie and Ricardo Pepi, performed the dance Monday after scoring a goal against Jamaica.
Even international athletes have embraced the dance, including British soccer players and British golfer Charley Hull.
Contra
Some of the athletes who performed the dance explained themselves without directly expressing support for Trump. Pulisic told The Athletic although the dance is “obviously” the “Trump dance,” he feels it’s “not a political dance” and he did it because it’s a popular trend and he “just thought it was funny.” Bowers told USA Today he decided to do the dance after he saw Jones do it at his UFC fight, stating he “thought it was cool.”
What Is The “trump Dance?”
The dance first attracted notoriety during Trump’s campaign for the presidency in 2020. He frequently performed it to the song “Y.M.C.A.” by Village People, whose singer Victor Willis had unsuccessfully demanded Trump stop using the song. Trump continued to perform the dance throughout his 2024 campaign, as some supporters in the audience would mimic the dance alongside him. The dance garnered further attention during a bizarre town hall in Pennsylvania last month in which the event was disrupted by multiple attendees needing medical attention, prompting Trump to switch gears. “Let’s not do any more questions. Let’s just listen to music,” he said, urging event staff to play music over the loudspeakers. Trump swayed and danced to music for 40 minutes, including “Y.M.C.A.,” “Ave Maria” and “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinead O’Connor.
Surprising Fact
Bosa performed the dance just one day after the NFL announced the league fined him $11,255 for crashing a teammate’s on-camera interview on Oct. 27 by wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, a symbol of the Trump campaign, pointing to the message and walking away. NFL rules prohibit players from “wearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages either in writing or illustration, unless such message has been approved in advance by the League office.” Prior to the fine, Bosa said if he faced repercussions, it would be “well worth it.”
Tangent
The “Trump dance” is the latest instance of athletes courting controversy for making political, or politically adjacent, statements on the field. Last year, some NHL players ignited controversy by refusing to wear themed Pride Month jerseys during warmups, with the league banning themed jerseys altogether months later. The league later reversed a ban on rainbow-colored Pride tape for hockey sticks following protests from players. San Francisco 49ers player Colin Kaepernick famously courted controversy in 2016 for kneeling during the National Anthem to protest police brutality, sparking both similar protests by other players in solidarity as well as fierce criticism, including from Trump, who said players that kneel should be “fired.”
Further Reading
Pulisic celebrates USMNT goal by copying Trump’s dance moves: ‘I just thought it was funny’ (The Athletic)
49ers lineman Nick Bosa fined by NFL for crashing teammates’ interview with MAGA hat (CNN)
Trump dances for 40 minutes during campaign rally: ‘Let’s listen to music’ (The Guardian)