If the volume of cease-and-desist orders sent to the Trump campaign is any indication, the music industry is not on his side. Still, he has some allies. In a new interview, one of his favorite musicians, Elton John, suggested he still has some warm and fuzzy feelings toward Trump — even if he opted out of letting the guy use his music at rallies and declined an invitation to perform at his 2017 inauguration.
During a Variety Q&A at the Toronto International Film Festival, John was asked how he felt about Trump derisively referring to Kim Jong-un as “Rocket Man.” He didn’t exactly seize on the opportunity to criticize the former president.
“I laughed. I thought it was brilliant,” John said of the first time he’d heard Trump use the nickname. “Donald’s always been a fan of mine; he’s been to my concerts many, many times. I’ve always been friendly towards him. I thank him for his support.” When the interviewer inquired whether he had any thoughts on the reports that Trump had sent Kim a signed Elton John CD, the singer said, “I thought it was a light moment, and it was fun.”
It’s no endorsement, but something tells me Trump will be reposting an AI-generated image of himself arm in arm with Mr. Rocket Man very soon.