Sir Elton John, years after Donald Trump called Kim Jong Un ‘Little Rocket Man’, has revealed that he thought the nickname was ‘brilliant’ and ‘hilarious’.
Sir Elton, 77, in an interview at the Toronto Film Festival over the weekend, said that Trump has ‘always been a fan of mine’ and attended several of his concerts. He is grateful for his support and apparently laughed when he learned of the nickname.
‘I laughed, I thought that was brilliant. I just thought, “Good on you, Donald”,’ he told Variety. ‘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.’
Trump, 78, first dubbed Kim ‘little rocket man’ in a tweet in 2017 in which he claimed that then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was ‘wasting his time’ trying to negotiate with the North Korean dictator.
The former president later had to explain what the nickname meant when he met with Kim, who was unfamiliar with the singer, Mike Pompeo claimed in his 2022 memoir. Trump then reportedly autographed one of Sir Elton’s CDs as a gift to Kim.
Sir Elton John , years after Donald Trump called Kim Jong Un ‘Little Rocket Man’, has revealed that he thought the nickname was ‘brilliant’ and ‘hilarious’. The musician said that Trump has ‘always been a fan of mine’ and attended several of his concerts. He is grateful for his support and apparently laughed when he learned of the nickname
Trump, 78, (left, at a campaign rally in Wisconsin on Saturday) first dubbed Kim ‘little rocket man’ in a tweet in 2017 in which he claimed that then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was ‘wasting his time’ trying to negotiate with the North Korean dictator. The former president later had to explain what the nickname meant when he met with Kim, (right, on August 31, 2024) who was unfamiliar with the singer, Mike Pompeo claimed in his 2022 memoir. Trump then reportedly autographed one of Sir Elton’s CDs as a gift to Kim
Sir Elton, in his interview with Variety, said he he thought Trump’s jab at Kim was ‘fun’ and a ‘light moment’. He was also not surprised that Kim did not know who he was.
‘Of course he hasn’t heard of me, Kim Jong Un. I’d be very surprised if he had,’ the musician joked. ‘I’ve never toured North Korea, and I have no intention of doing so.’
Although he said he was thankful for Trump’s support, Sir Elton did not throw his support behind the Republican in the upcoming presidential election.
The singer, declining to endorse either candidate and admitting it is ‘none of my business how [people] vote,’ said that he wants Americans to ‘vote for things that are just, things that are important to people’.
‘Kindness will always win out… that’s what I hope for the American election in November,’ he stated, adding: ‘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.’
Sir Elton John (left), and his husband, David Furnish (right), arrive for the screening of the documentary Elton John: Never Too Late at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday
David Furnish (left) and Sir Elton John (right) roll down the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival in a purple golf cart adorned with stars
He explained that he will not tell his fans to vote Republican or Democrat, but he does hope that ‘people make the right decision to see what the future is going to be’.
He urged them to consider if they want to live in a world that is ‘fire and brimstone’ or if they are going to urge for a ‘much calmer, a much safer place’.
Sir Elton, who was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Joe Biden in 2022, further shared that he feels love has ‘been lost in the last 12 years’.
He said Americans 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’.
Sir Elton attended the Toronto International Film Festival over the weekend for the world premiere of the documentary Elton John: Never Too Late.
Amplified by archival footage and photographs, the film is an intimate look at the singer-songwriter’s life and career through the lens of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which culminated with a 2022 performance at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
The documentary’s co-directors – R.J. Cutler and David Furnish, a Toronto native and Sir Elton’s husband – hope fans learn something new about a celebrated megastar who has sold millions of albums and packed arenas worldwide since the 1970s.
Sir Elton John and David Furnish at the Variety TIFF Studio during the Toronto International Film Festival 2024 on September 7, 2024 in Toronto, Canada
Sir Elton, who was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Joe Biden in 2022, (pictured) further shared that he feels love has ‘been lost in the last 12 years’. In his Variety interview, he urged Americans to ‘vote for things that are just, things that are important to people’ in the upcoming presidential election
Sir Elton is one of a rarified group known as EGOT winners, having taken home an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award in his career.
‘It’s exciting and terrifying,’ Furnish said at the premiere on Friday, when asked what it was like to do a documentary about your spouse. Furnish also served as producer of Rocketman, an Elton biopic released in 2019.
A revealing moment in Never Too Late that shocked Furnish was a conversation from 1976 when Elton shared that he hoped to start a family one day.
‘In the early days of our relationship, he said he never wanted to have children,’ Furnish said. ‘And then, of course, we have children, so that was like a really nice surprise.’
Sir Elton, during the Q&A portion of Friday’s premiere, echoed his husband’s claim, tearfully telling reporters: ‘On my tombstone, I don’t want it to say he sold a million records. I want it to say he was a great dad and great husband.’
British-born Sir Elton, who started life as Reginald Dwight, began his rise to stardom in 1967 when he answered an ad for Liberty Records and joined forces with lyricist Bernie Taupin.
The movie, a co-production of Disney+ and Rocket Pictures, has something for everyone, said Cutler, whose directorial credits include 2021’s Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry and Belushi in 2020.
British-born Sir Elton, (pictured on the red carpet on Friday) who started life as Reginald Dwight, began his rise to stardom in 1967 when he answered an ad for Liberty Records and joined forces with lyricist Bernie Taupin
‘If you grew up with his music as I did, you’re going to recognize this era, this remarkable five-year period from 1970 to 1975, where Elton released 13 albums, seven of which went to number one on the charts,’ Cutler said.
‘If you’ve come to Elton’s music in recent years, you’re going to learn about that period in a way that you probably didn’t even imagine.’
The documentary will appear on Disney+ later this year.
Sir Elton, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1998 for his contribution to music and charity, recently announced that he was recovering from a severe eye infection. On Friday, he declined to do red carpet interviews, but his husband assured reporters that he was on the road to recovery.
