It is a sentiment internationally recognized that the Divided States of America are in the biggest “oops” moment of their collective existence. At nearly 249 years old, one would think an esablished country would know better than to elect a declared dictator into his second presidency, yet here we are wondering if we really need those $9 eggs. One would also reasonably believe that Donald Trump and his domestic partner, Melania, would be able to understand the plot of a musical when they see one. They’re moderately intelligent people, after all. One fooled 77.3 million people into believing that they’d never go hungry again, like Scar did with the hyenas. The other wrote a book called Melania. A whole book! Alas, like Lauren Boebert engaging in a little light matinee groping, the Trumps seem to have no idea how to behave when faced with history-making musical theatre (or Beetlejuice). Nowhere was this on fuller display than at the 2025 Governor’s Ball, when a performance from the U.S. Army Chorus delivered the mic-drop moment no one was expecting. With vocals you might hear at the Nederlander, the choir burst into a mashup of “Do You Hear the People Sing?” and “One Day More,” two of the biggest show-stoppers from the 1980 musical Les Misérables. On the surface, these are perfectly acceptable tunes to belt out at a function. But if you dig just a little bit deeper, you might suspect that this choir was, shall we say, up to something. A video of the gorgeously ironic performance, shared on TikTok by user @takethisviral, quickly gained traction following the Feb. 22 event, garnering over half a million likes and over 164K shares within 24 hours. @takethisviral Governors Ball at The White House, hosted by President Trump and First Lady Melania. #fyp #fypage #foryou #foryoupage #presidenttrump #firstladymelania #governorsball #whitehouse ♬ original sound – TAKE THIS VIRAL Why did the video catch fire? For starters, Les Misérables – known as Les Miz by theatre people and anyone with class – is a globally renowned musical adaptation of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel of the same name. Everyone loves the music because it’s utterly sensational ⏤ except when Russell Crowe sings it ⏤ and by now, everyone knows it. It’s an instant crowd-pleaser, with a memorable storyline about, among other things, a group of republican student revolutionaries rebelling against an oppressive government. Their anthem? “Do You Hear the People Sing?” Oops! Trump heard the people sing alright, but did he hear what they were singing? My guess is nyet, and not just because he tends not to hear anything other than the sound of his own voice. There’s a quiet possibility that he and his monogamous partner heard the music and thought, “There’s never been better music than this, anywhere. We’re looking into it. Make Musicals Great Again.” But if he actually had a cunning little brain like a regular Voltaire, then he might have raised an eyebrow at the choir’s song choice (not to mention Ranted About It on TRUTH SOCIAL!!!). As one user wondered, “Do they know that that song is EXTREMELY anti….them?” No, MrMonkey, they do not appear to, no. Another quipped, “First Kendrick, now this, art is the revolution,” referencing Kendrick Lamar’s stunning Super Bowl LIX halftime show. As user @DaringDragon3D added, “This is like Kendrick’s halftime show but for theater kids.” Correct, Dragon. Correct. As Fizzgig Sugarbaker pointed out, “I am so in love with whoever risked their careers for this.” You took the words right out of our mouths, Fizzgig. “WHOEVER GOT THIS APPROVED UNDER TRUMP’S NOSE DESERVES A RAISE,” whispered GabinChaos. And then of course Super Sockdragons weighed in with, “This is the most classy roast I’ve ever seen.” Do what you will, but I encourage you to never doubt a sockdragon. Now, look ⏤ Trump is no stranger to impassioned students or imprisoned bread thieves waxing rhapsodic about barricade-level rebellion. The Guardian reported on his love for this power ballad back in 2022, when he played it ahead of his re-election campaign announcement. But that doesn’t mean he knows what the lyrics mean. This is the guy who told people that swallowing bleach would cure COVID, after all. Do you really expect him to know his Boublil from his Schönberg? His jazz hands from his protest anthems? His castles from his clouds? Sweetie. Don’t make me laugh. In addition to clapping for songs that openly oppose his reign of terror, Trump has recently come under fire for everything from implementing the pillars of Project 2025 (which no one saw coming) to playing the Pinocchio to Elon Musk’s Nazi-saluting Geppetto. The latter friendship has already seen the totally platonic pals bond over everything from toe-nibbling to booger-smearing, but it’s their shared inability to actually improve the lives of the citizens who elected them Trump that’s already proving to be their undoing. Trump might think he’s the Master of the House, but 52% of Americans see him as the keeper of the zoo – a number that grows daily. He may have dreamed a dream and sworn by the stars that he’d return Americans to the world they longed to see, but at the end of the day, all he’s done is upset everyone from Mexico to Panama, and now a fair number of people are wondering when God will bring him home. How burgeoning American wrath may ultimately affect the rest of Trump’s presidency and his many Mar-a-Lago fetes remains to be seen. I foresee empty chairs at empty tables, personally, but until we know for sure, one thing is clear: after that sneaky and stunningly relevant choral performance, Governor’s Ball Captain Bonnie Alger deserves a raise ⏤ or, at the very least, a loaf of bread.