Army Chorus's 'Les Misérables' Number at Governors' Dinner Sparks Online Debate

A video of the U.S. Army Chorus performing a song from the musical Les Misérables at a White House dinner for the nation's governors has spread widely online, prompting questions about whether the selection was meant as a political jab. The footage is authentic, even though its irony led some viewers to doubt it.

The chorus sang "Do You Hear the People Sing?" on Saturday evening in a ballroom filled with elected officials, among them President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump. The song is rooted in protest and touches on themes of overcoming adversity.

The clip was recorded by Dan Scavino, a White House assistant to the president, and posted on X, where it has been viewed more than 2 million times since Saturday night. A reposted version on TikTok has drawn 3 million views, and the video has also been heavily discussed on Reddit.

Much of the commentary centers on timing. Last week, anti-Trump demonstrations took place across the country on Presidents' Day, many billed as "No Kings on Presidents' Day" and "America Has No King." Trump had likened himself to royalty in posts on his Truth Social platform and on the White House's official Instagram account. Les Misérables is, at its core, a story about resisting political oppression and injustice in 19th-century France. Some online commenters called the song choice an intentional slight or an act of rebellion, and some speculated that whoever picked it had risked their job.

Rep. Jim McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat, suggested on X that the song was a dig. "They picked Les Mis — a musical about standing up to tyranny," he wrote, adding that the president had been protested at his own event and "were too stupid to get it." Another X user wrote that the HBO political satire Veep "couldn't even write something this good."

The musical follows characters including the peasant Jean Valjean and their quest for redemption, set during a revolutionary period in which a group of students and idealists try to overthrow the government. The song is performed twice in the show and depicts rebel students and workers rising up in the streets of Paris during the June Rebellion of 1832. It is widely used as a protest anthem at demonstrations around the world. Some Reddit users noted that the Army's arrangement appears to combine the Act I version with the reprise heard near the end of the show.

The song is not new to Trump's events, however. In 2016, as the Republican presidential nominee, he played it over loudspeakers at a Miami rally, according to the Guardian. The musical's creators said they had not been asked for permission and had never authorized any of its songs for political events. Dozens of artists have made similar requests over the years. The song also appeared on a playlist Trump used in 2022 ahead of announcing his 2024 campaign.

Trump has also long expressed affection for musical theater. In his 2004 book Think Like a Billionaire, he called Evita his favorite Broadway show and said he had seen it six times. Former press secretary Stephanie Grisham wrote that aides designated a "Music Man" to play show tunes, including "Memory" from Cats, to calm him, as summarized by the New York Times.

The Army Chorus's repertoire ranges from "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," and has included show tunes such as "Not While I'm Around" from Sweeney Todd. It remains unclear who chose the song for the governors' dinner. The Inquirer contacted the Army and White House communications teams but had not received a response at publication time.