Sir Elton John had a surprisingly tepid reaction to Donald Trump using his song Rocket Man to give Kim Jong Un a new nickname.
A biography of Trump by former US national security adviser John Bolton released in 2020 claimed that the then-president had met with Kim Jong Un at a summit in Singapore two years earlier.
By this point, Trump had taken to referring to the North Korean dictator as “Little Rocket Man”, and even reportedly autographed an Elton John CD to help Kim Jong Un understand the reference.
Asked about this by Variety over the weekend, Sir Elton admitted he “laughed” when he heard the story, which he thought was “brilliant”.
“I just thought, ‘Good on you, Donald’,” he claimed. “Donald’s always been a fan of mine, and he’s been to my concerts many, many times. So, I mean, I’ve always been friendly toward him, and I thank him for his support.
“When he did that, I just thought it was hilarious. It made me laugh.”
Given how opinionated Sir Elton is known for being on a variety of subjects – including politics here in the UK – his rather blasé comments on Trump may come as a bit of a surprise to some.
It’s worth noting, though, that Sir Elton distanced himself from Trump in the past.
Back in 2016, during Trump’s first presidential run, Sir Elton shut down the Republican candidate’s attempts to play his music at political rallies.
“I don’t really want my music to be involved in anything to do with an American election campaign. I’m British. I’ve met Donald Trump, he was very nice to me, it’s nothing personal, his political views are his own, mine are very different,” he told The Guardian at the time, insisting he’s “not a Republican in a million years”.
“Why not ask Ted fucking Nugent? Or one of those fucking country stars? They’ll do it for you,” he suggested.
Sir Elton was also one of several musicians who turned down an offer to perform at Trump’s inauguration back in 2017.
Asked about the upcoming election by Variety on Friday, the Candle In The Wind singer said: “Kindness will always win out… that’s what I hope for the American election in November.”
Meanwhile, at a separate Variety event the following day, he elaborated further on the subject.
“I don’t go on stage and say to people, ‘You must vote for the Republicans, you must vote for the Democrats.’ It’s none of my business how they vote,” the Grammy winner said. “They come to see me, and I’m so grateful they have.”
He continued: “America is in a very volatile position. And it’s a country I love, and I’ve always loved, and I’m so thankful that it made me who I am.
“I just want people to vote for things that are just, things that are important to people: the right to choose, the right to be who you are, and not let anybody else tell you who to be. And that goes all the way up to the Supreme Court.”