Is Trump’s MAGA theater still hypnotizing America—or is it finally awakening the resistance?

By Michael Shaw

One plays a cowboy, one plays a construction worker, and another plays a president.

What’s genuinely unsettling isn’t the spectacle itself—it’s how quickly we’ve normalized it. Trump dancing with the Village People at Capital One Arena wasn’t just another campaign stunt. It was the perfect snapshot of how he transforms cultural icons into MAGA propaganda.

On January 19, 2025, just one day before his second inauguration, Trump pulled off his boldest cultural hijacking yet. Trump seamlessly inserted himself as “the president” character alongside the Village People in this Jim Watson photo. The gay icons who once sang about cruising at the YMCA were now MAGA entertainment.

So, how did they get from here…

…to here?

These images, separated by decades but linked by costume and choreography, tell the story of cultural transformation. The gritty Village People photo from 1997, modeling skin for cash and an S&M tableau, captures the group’s authentic meaning, while the shot from an inauguration gala this past November reveals its complete absorption into political theater.

What makes this moment particularly significant is how it exposes Trump’s broader strategy of cultural appropriation. As you’ll see in our video, it follows a simple formula: Co-option. Nostalgia. Entertainment. The ’70s anthem “YMCA”—initially celebrating gay culture and coded cruising—has been systematically sanitized for Trump’s campaign. After years of resistance, the group finally surrendered to financial incentives, performing live with Trump for the first time.

Our latest Chatting the Pictures video reveals how Trump:

• Perfected his formula: take an iconic gay anthem, strip away its meaning, and turn it into Trump-branded entertainment
• Got his supporters to enthusiastically participate in what’s essentially a drag show while they vote for anti-LGBTQ policies
• Effected a transformation so complete there’s not an ounce of visual irony in any photograph of the performance

Click below to watch our full breakdown of this cultural takeover.

MAGA Cosplay

This Village People performance didn’t happen in isolation – it was part of a broader pattern of political theater that has defined Trump’s return to power. From the 2024 Republican Convention to his second inauguration, MAGA culture has evolved into an elaborate costume drama with recurring characters.

Assassin Style

At the 2024 Republican Convention, this supporter wears a striking “Southern Belle”-style gown that doubles as a political billboard. Adorned with the photo-turned-emblem commemorating the attempt on Trump’s life, the dress transforms political violence into a wearable statement—blurring the line between fashion and propaganda.

The Sheriff

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s carefully staged photo ops—from ICE raids to border patrols on horseback—earned her the nickname “Cosplay Kristi” as she cycles through different law enforcement costumes complete with cowboy hats and bulletproof vests.

The Scion

This Tablet Magazine photo illustration features young RFK Jr. sitting on his father’s lap, their gestures creating a visual fusion between father and son. Trump’s campaign masterfully co-opted the Kennedy mystique after RFK Jr. endorsed him, tapping into America’s enduring fascination with Camelot while grafting the Kennedy legacy as a natural predecessor to MAGA royalty.

The Demolition Man

Elon Musk brandishing a red chainsaw at CPAC, a gift from Argentine President Milei inscribed with “Viva la libertad, carajo” (Long Live Freedom, Damn It!) perfectly encapsulates the theatrical nature of the administration’s government-cutting agenda—turning bureaucratic dismantling into literal performance art.

His Highness

Team Trump posted this bit of AI on its social media. The trickster embraces and glorifies the accusation in that appropriative style while, ironically, the faux painting places him somewhere near Greenwich Village. As they grift and destroy, it’s all so engrossing.

Protest is Growing

Let me address a concern many of you have shared: “Nobody is doing anything” about the Trump/Musk power grab. As someone following over 450 photojournalists on Instagram, I can assure you – grassroots pushback is on the rise.

This photo is from a Washington, D.C. demonstration on NOT MY PRESIDENT’S DAY or NO KINGS DAY (formerly known as President’s Day). Protesters gathered at statehouses nationwide to push back against Trump-era policies and Project 2025. In D.C., USAID staffers and allies blasted the administration’s sudden shutdown of the agency.

This view of protesters filling the downtown LA overpass creates a powerful visual metaphor—immigrants and allies taking the high ground against Trump’s deportation policies. The elevated position transforms an ordinary freeway into its own stage for resistance, offering an unscripted counterpoint to the MAGA political theater.

An upside-down American flag hangs from the famous El Capitan in Yosemite National Park to protest federal job cuts, especially those to the National Park Service.

Pretend Versus Real

From the Village People to protest movements, from cosplay to real political consequences, these images reveal America’s current struggle between entertainment and reality.

Trump has perfected a formula: take cultural icons, strip away their original meaning, and transform them into MAGA spectacles. The Village People’s performance wasn’t just entertainment but a blueprint for how his administration operates. While protesters take to the streets and hang flags from El Capitan, Trump’s team turns even resistance into fodder for their ongoing political theater.

The real question isn’t if protests exist but if they can pierce through Trump’s choreographed spectacle that turns every challenge into MAGA theater. As his administration dismantles agencies and causes increasing harm, this clash between substance and spectacle will determine our future.