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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Isabel Keane

A dancing Trump arrives in Malaysia to kick off Asia tour

President Donald Trump busted out some of his signature dance moves as he was greeted by a troupe of Malaysian performers on Sunday while kicking off his Asian tour.

Video showed the 79-year-old president, fresh off a 23-hour flight from Washington, D.C., on Air Force One, pumping his fists out and dancing to the beat of drums after arriving in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Trump was seen dancing alongside performers representing Malaysia’s major ethnic groups, including indigenous people from Borneo, as well as Malay, Chinese, and Indian people.

He was escorted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who was also bobbing along to the music.

Trump arrived in Malaysia to attend the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, and oversaw a historic “peace deal” between Cambodia and Thailand, which he said would save millions of lives.

The five-day tour of Asia, which includes stops in Japan and South Korea, will culminate in a highly anticipated trade meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

It's not the first time the president has gone viral over his signature dance moves – pumping his fists out and bopping his head along to a beat.

Trump has gained viral attention most notably for dancing to the Village People’s 1978 disco hit, “Y.M.C.A.”

The tune, long considered central to Trump’s campaign, has played at countless rallies throughout his political career, often accompanied by his infamous fist-pumping dance.

While the Village People once attempted to stop Trump from using their music, sending his legal team a cease-and-desist letter after he was filmed dancing to their hit “Macho Man,” they have since warmed to his use of their music. In January, the band came on stage and danced with Trump during his “Make America Great Again Victory Rally” held a day before Inauguration Day.

Similar to Trump’s viral moments dancing to the two Village People hits, the internet had a big reaction to his moves on display in Malaysia.

Trump’s dancing with the Malaysian performers went viral on social media, as his signature moves have done in the past (Getty Images)

While many social media users praised him for his energy and high spirits, with one commenting that Trump is “making dancing great again,” others deemed the display embarrassing and cringey.

“Wow. Donald Trump is doing his double jerk-off dance in Kuala Lumpur! How do you say ‘cringe’ in Malay?” one social media user wrote.

“He’s like that drunk uncle who wants to be the life of the party but everyone wishes he (would) go home. How embarrassing!” another user chimed in.

Another joked, “Grandpa escaped the nursing home again!”

“Good God, this man is embarrassing,” one social media user wrote.

Another user had a more scathing take, writing, “Cringe is an understatement. A wannabe autocrat doing a boomer shuffle while democracy burns. History won’t remember the moves. Just the collapse.”

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