Elton John’s Confusing Shoutout to Trump

Queer icon Elton John stumped everyone after seeming to be chummy with longtime fan … Donald Trump?

Former President of the United States Donald J. Trump made a joke calling Kim Jong Un, “Little Rocket Man.” Clearly meant as an insult, Elton John seemed to think it was quite the gag. He states, “I just thought, ‘Good on you, Donald.’ … 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.”

He said this during an interview with Variety after the release of his Disney+ documentary Elton John: Never Too Late. In this interview, he is vocal about voting in the upcoming election and the importance of voting in a way to reduce harm. Though he avoids saying exactly which way to vote, he seems to favor a side, with remarks such as, “There is a danger, as Dick Cheney said the other day. America is in a very volatile position.” This is an in-reference to Dick Cheney’s endorsement of presidential candidate Kamala Harris. He urges people to vote for what matters to them. He also states that he is in favor of “… 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.”

Though he seems to take a side when speaking on politics, his friendship with Trump deserves some side-eye. Radical centrism will do no good in the upcoming election, and the more people shy away from talking about the real risks posed by the Trump campaign, the more danger a lot of minority groups are in. For Elton John, this may have been a learned PR move. For a lot of young queers, this was a confusing statement in a very scary time in United States history.

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