Out musician Elton John had some oddly warm things to say about Donald Trump over the weekend.
At the Toronto International Film Festival for the world premiere of the Disney+ documentary Elton John: Never Too Late, the singer commented on the former president’s infamous “Little Rocket Man” nickname for North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un.
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“I laughed, I thought that was brilliant,” John told Variety. “I just thought, ‘Good on you, Donald.’”
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The out Grammy winner went on to note that Trump has “always been a fan of mine.”
“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,” John said.
“When he did that, I just thought it was hilarious. It made me laugh,” John added of the Kim Jong Un nickname.
As Variety noted, in his 2022 memoir, Trump’s former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote that the former president had to explain the reference to Kim Jong Un and even autographed a copy of an Elton John CD for the North Korean dictator.
“Of course he hasn’t heard of me, Kim Jong Un. I’d be very surprised if he had,” John told the outlet. “I’ve never toured North Korea, and I have no intention of doing so. But, I thought it was a light moment, and it was fun.”
During a post-screening Q&A on Saturday night, John again commented on U.S. politics. While he didn’t explicitly mention either Trump or Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, the “Tiny Dancer” singer said that “Kindness will always win out… that’s what I hope for the American election in November.”
Despite being thankful for Trump’s support, John was one of many artists who opposed the Trump campaign’s use of their music during his 2016 White House run.
According to Variety, the singer attempted to clarify his comments about the former president on Sunday, telling the outlet, “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.”
“There is a danger, as Dick Cheney said the other day,” he continued, likely referring to the former vice president’s recent announcement that he would be voting for Harris in November. In his statement, Cheney noted the unprecedented “threat” Trump poses to the country.
“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,” said John, who accepted the National Humanities Medal from President Joe Biden in 2022.
The singer neither explicitly endorsed nor condemned either Trump or Harris, saying instead, “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.”
“I just hope that people make the right decision to see what the future is going to be,” John added. “Is it going to be fire and brimstone … or are we going to have a much calmer, a much safer place? People can vote for who they like, but as far as I’m concerned, I love love. And I’m a loving person, and I want that to come back to America. I feel it’s been lost in the last 12 years.”
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