# What's the deal with Trump's Inaguration Committee's inability to secure "A" list talent? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 3, 2017, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-trumps-inaguration-committees-inability-to-secure-a-list-talent/776192 "2017-01-03T02:03:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-trumps-inaguration-committees-inability-to-secure-a-list-talent/776192/241 "2025-01-20T05:33:59Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > Snoop Dogg, huh? It’s about time he got a jobby job. But Trump isn’t actually watching all this amazing talent in person is he? If he is, Snoop will gain back some of my respect if he lights up the biggest spleef ever smoked on any inauguration day. Yeah, Snoop Dogg’s the type of artist who’ll do pretty much anything for a buck, so I’m not surprised to see him there. And the Village People are probably hoping they can get some sweet gigs working the RNC, CPAC conferences and other hives of scum and villainy. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-trumps-inaguration-committees-inability-to-secure-a-list-talent/776192/242 "2025-01-20T05:41:13Z")
I’ve been quite surprised at some of the racist comments regarding this. Folks, in 2009, quite a few of those people didn’t have jobs because they were RETIRED and many of them lived before civil rights, and they were going to be there if it killed them. p.s. I wonder how Trump’s minions would react if someone sang “Imagine.” ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-trumps-inaguration-committees-inability-to-secure-a-list-talent/776192/243 "2025-01-20T06:02:25Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I wonder how Trump’s minions would react if someone sang “Imagine.” The same way Reagan’s minions loved “Born in the USA” by Springsteen. Assuming they don’t cherry pick parts and skip any comunist-manifesto and atheist-sounding lyrics they’d still likely love it, as clearly to them it’s all about imagining full-on MAGA. Born in the USA is pretty damn clear an anti-war protest song. I doubt Bruce’s FBI file is as thick as Lennon’s. Jimmy Carter was certainly correct: > “In many countries around the world — my wife and I have visited about 125 countries — you hear John Lennon’s song ‘Imagine’ used almost equally with national anthems.” ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-trumps-inaguration-committees-inability-to-secure-a-list-talent/776192/244 "2025-01-20T11:26:45Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > And the Village People are probably hoping they can get some sweet gigs working the RNC, CPAC conferences and other hives of scum and villainy. Apparently the lone surviving member is very pro-Trump. Here’s an interesting (to me anyway) article about the music they used at the rally last night. > **[At Trump’s Rally, the Contradictions Are in the Music](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/19/arts/music/trump-village-people-kid-rock.html)** > > The president-elect danced along with Village People as his rally closed with a live performance of “Y.M.C.A.,” after Kid Rock and Lee Greenwood played. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-trumps-inaguration-committees-inability-to-secure-a-list-talent/776192/245 "2025-01-20T14:02:24Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Apparently the lone surviving member is very pro-Trump. Kind of hard to do the song and arm movements with one person. “It’s fun to stay at the Y \< silence \> It’s fun to stay at the Y \< more silence \>” ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-trumps-inaguration-committees-inability-to-secure-a-list-talent/776192/246 "2025-01-20T14:42:52Z")
I guess he’s recruited new guys? I know of a place you could find young, fit men. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-trumps-inaguration-committees-inability-to-secure-a-list-talent/776192/247 "2025-01-20T15:15:00Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Apparently the lone surviving member is very pro-Trump. It’s the cop, right? Has to be the cop. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-trumps-inaguration-committees-inability-to-secure-a-list-talent/776192/248 "2025-01-20T15:16:46Z")
I’m sure I read that the temps in DC were going to be -11C - not the wind-chill. Right now it’s -3C in DC and sure, if you’re going around in shorts and a t-shirt it might feel a bit colder. I also read there’s going to be a “parade” in the [venue that The Capitals play in] Center. Are they reserving the front rows for those who were on the rotunda-list? Will fat-ass be riding in his golf cart? That’s gotta be like 70 rows of seats on the floor and all those steps up to the stage. I dunno if it was all that cold when Reagan did his in the rotunda in 1985 but this just seems, to use fat-ass’s word, “rigged”. It’s -11C in Buffalo. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-trumps-inaguration-committees-inability-to-secure-a-list-talent/776192/249 "2025-01-20T15:23:02Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > > [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > > > Apparently the lone surviving member is very pro-Trump. > > It’s the cop, right? Has to be the cop. The lone original member, Victor Willis, was the sea captain in the early days. Today, he is indeed the cop. > **[Village People founder says everybody can enjoy their music, Republican or...](https://www.npr.org/2025/01/19/nx-s1-5260925/village-people-ymca-trump-2025-inauguration-washington)** > > Victor Willis of the Village People says their music is for everyone, defending the group's choice to perform at Trump's inaugural celebrations as a message of inclusivity. FWIW, Willis quit the Village People in 1979 and returned in 2017. Needless to day, much changed over 38 years. EDIT: Actually, **[Willis returned briefly in 1982 to record one last album with the act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_on_the_Box)**, but left again afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-trumps-inaguration-committees-inability-to-secure-a-list-talent/776192/250 "2025-01-20T15:25:06Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > [Village People founder says everybody can enjoy their music, Republican or Democrat : NPR](https://www.npr.org/2025/01/19/nx-s1-5260925/village-people-ymca-trump-2025-inauguration-washington) I want to see all those foreign dignitaries spelling out YMCA with their arms. > [@Gyrate](#): > > “It’s fun to stay at the Y \< silence \> > It’s fun to stay at the Y \< more silence \>” Didn’t see that - good one! ETA: For Reagan’s 2nd, the daytime temperatures was 7 °F (−14 °C) and wind chills of −25 °F (−32 °C) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-trumps-inaguration-committees-inability-to-secure-a-list-talent/776192/251 "2025-01-20T15:42:41Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Apparently the lone surviving member is very pro-Trump. Just to clear up any possible confusion, Victor Willis is the lone original member who’s still performing in the group. But most of the other original members are still alive. Glenn Hughes (the biker) is the only one who’s died. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-trumps-inaguration-committees-inability-to-secure-a-list-talent/776192/252 "2025-01-20T15:53:39Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > ETA: For Reagan’s 2nd, the daytime temperatures was 7 °F (−14 °C) and wind chills of −25 °F (−32 °C) Reagan’s 1985 inauguration was held indoors except for about a 60-second photo op on the White House’s North Portico. The Reagan Library’s YouTube channel has plenty of clips of the day’s proceedings. https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLEL2J-7BrhestuvkvJyoahl0WASMrc0MO&wmode=transparent&rel=0&autohide=1&showinfo=1&enablejsapi=1 EDIT: I see **Coriolanus** had this covered. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-trumps-inaguration-committees-inability-to-secure-a-list-talent/776192/253 "2025-01-20T16:21:57Z")
Will Trump brave the polar vortex and step outside to wave at the 2.5 million MAGA zealots? I know memory can be wrong, yet I do recall that at the very first meeting of Reagan and Gorbachev in Reykjavík in 1986, that Gorbachev was wearing the proper overcoat and probably the furry hat and gloves - and Reagan was told - as a bit of political stagecraft - to get out of the car wearing just his suit jacket for a quick handshake. Couldn’t find any pics of that moment. (which is odd as he was doing this precisely for the photos and video) ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-trumps-inaguration-committees-inability-to-secure-a-list-talent/776192/254 "2025-01-20T16:44:05Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > I know memory can be wrong, yet I do recall that at the very first meeting of Reagan and Gorbachev in Reykjavík in 1986, that Gorbachev was wearing the proper overcoat and probably the furry hat and gloves - and Reagan was told - as a bit of political stagecraft - to get out of the car wearing just his suit jacket for a quick handshake. The US Embassy in Iceland has a YouTube channel, and they’ve got **[a short documentary of the 1986 Reykjavik summit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5eEdLShF38)**. Your memory was correct about Reagan getting our of the car in just his suit jacket. What happened subsequently is that Reagan and his entourage hustled into the summit venue, the Höfði. Reagan arrived in advance of the overcoat-adorned Gorbachev (_sans_ hat and gloves, though), allowing him time to warm up indoors. When Gorbachev approached the Höfði’s entrance, Reagan popped out onto the porch in his suitcoat to shake hands with his Russian counterpart. Cue to about 5:15 to see the lead-up to the handshake. Here’s a still shot: [![](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/05/ronald_reagan_1986.jpg) ](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/05/ronald_reagan_1986.jpg) Later, the two leaders bundled up a bit and took walks on the Höfði grounds. Press photographers snapped some shots. Reagan walked about bare-headed while Gorbachev sported a fedora. [![](https://providencemag.com/wp-content/uploads/Reykjavik_Summit_President_Reagan_departure_after_Final_Meeting_with_General_Secretary_Mikhail_Gorbachev_in_Iceland-1-scaled-e1662040435984.jpeg) ](https://providencemag.com/wp-content/uploads/Reykjavik_Summit_President_Reagan_departure_after_Final_Meeting_with_General_Secretary_Mikhail_Gorbachev_in_Iceland-1-scaled-e1662040435984.jpeg) [![](https://neweasterneurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/8002545655_b1e556fa5f_k.jpg) ](https://neweasterneurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/8002545655_b1e556fa5f_k.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-trumps-inaguration-committees-inability-to-secure-a-list-talent/776192/255 "2025-01-20T16:58:42Z")
Cool, thanks for that! I’m about to check out BBC to see if they got access or at least a splice of Fox’s approved feed. Reagan’s overcoat was probably custom tailored or at least bought someplace north of Saks 5th avenue. Gorbachev’s coat looks like it was designed by the makers of that Wendy’s commercial: “Day-vear!” There is a guy in the background wearing the kind of hat I meant, yet I don’t think it gets all that cold in Reykjavík in October. I do know a couple things from living in St. Petersburg: The Russians have at least a dozen names/types of fur hats, and a -3C/-11C wind chill feels a lot warmer than -14/-32C wind chill. You will want the fur hat and gloves and scarf. Back to our regularly scheduled swearing at. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-trumps-inaguration-committees-inability-to-secure-a-list-talent/776192/256 "2025-01-20T17:36:05Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > There is a guy in the background wearing the kind of hat I meant, yet I don’t think it gets all that cold in Reykjavík in October. Here is **[a contemporary account of the weather on the first day of the Reykjavik summit](https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/12/world/iceland-summit-charm-cough-drops-raisa-gorbachev-s-reyjkavik-visit-public.html)**, courtesy of the New York Times’ archives: > Today, through rain, sleet, snow and hail of Iceland’s temperamental weather, [Raisa Gorbachev] kept her smile - and every hair - in place. Going by the description of the precipitation, the temperatures must’ve moved from about 2 C (~35 F) to maybe -4 C (~25 F) throughout the day and evening. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-trumps-inaguration-committees-inability-to-secure-a-list-talent/776192.md?page=12)