*Former President Donald Trump has received a cease and desist order from the Village People after a cover band performed at Mar-A-Lago last week.
Trump was spotted poolside last Thursday at the popular resort listening to the Village People’s “Macho Man” covered by a band who were dressed like the group, Mediaite reports.
Karen Willis, the group’s manager, has demanded that Trump cease any further unauthorized performances or uses of their music, TMZ reports. Willis is the wife of the Village People’s lead singer Victor Willis.
“Though my husband has tolerated your client’s use of his Village People music, we cannot allow such use by him to cause public confusion as to endorsement,” Willis wrote to Trump’s lawyer Joseph Tacopina.
Donald Trump dancing to “Macho Man” by the Village People is the mood of this Friday pic.twitter.com/nwmrnzhTxw
— RRN.world (@RRN_breaking) May 12, 2023
This group issued a similar cease and desist notice to Trump in 2021 for using their popular song Y.M.C.A. at various rallies. Willis’ wife is concerned that the cover band is confusing people into believing the real group endorses Trump for president.
“We have no ill will towards the president, but we asked him to cease and desist long ago. However, since he’s a bully, our request was ignored. Thankfully he’s now out of office, so it would seem his abusive use of our music has finally ended,” the group said in a 2021 statement to Billboard magazine.
Trump’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, responded to the latest cease and desist order, telling TMZ, “I will only deal with the attorney of the Village People, if they have one, not the wife of one of the members. But they should be thankful that President Trump allowed them to get their name back in the press. I haven’t heard their name in decades. Glad to hear they are still around.”
The group’s manager wants Trump to stop using the Village People’s images and music and threatens a lawsuit if he doesn’t comply.
READ MORE: Village People’s Victor Willis Says Recording Academy Uses ‘Secret Committees’ Against Black Artists
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