President Donald Trump showcased his signature dance moves upon arriving in Malaysia on Sunday, marking the start of his five-day Asia tour. The 79-year-old president, fresh from a 23-hour flight from Washington, D.C., was greeted by a troupe of performers representing Malaysia’s major ethnic groups, including indigenous people from Borneo, as well as Malay, Chinese, and Indian communities.
Video footage showed Trump pumping his fists and dancing to the beat of drums alongside Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who also bobbed along to the music. The president is in Kuala Lumpur to attend the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and oversaw what he described as a historic “peace deal” between Cambodia and Thailand, which he claimed would save millions of lives.
Trump’s dance moves, which have gone viral before, are most famously associated with the Village People’s 1978 disco hit “Y.M.C.A.” The song has been a staple at his rallies, often accompanied by his fist-pumping dance. Although the band once sent a cease-and-desist letter over the use of “Macho Man,” they have since warmed to Trump, joining him on stage during a pre-inauguration rally in January.
Social media reactions to Trump’s Malaysian dance were mixed. Some praised his energy, with one user commenting that Trump is “making dancing great again.” Others were less complimentary, with one writing: “Wow. Donald Trump is doing his double jerk-off dance in Kuala Lumpur! How do you say ‘cringe’ in Malay?” Another compared him to “that drunk uncle who wants to be the life of the party but everyone wishes he would go home.”
The Asia tour will continue with stops in Japan and South Korea, culminating in a highly anticipated trade meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
