Elton John recently shared his thoughts on former President Donald Trump’s nickname for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, calling it “hilarious” and “brilliant.” The nickname, “Little Rocket Man,” is a play on one of Elton John’s famous songs, “Rocket Man.”
During an interview at the Toronto Film Festival last week, the “Tiny Dancer” singer told Variety that Trump’s nickname for the dictator made him laugh. “I laughed, I thought that was brilliant,” John said. “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.”
The nickname emerged during a period of heightened tensions between the U.S. and North Korea in 2017, when the two leaders exchanged threats amid North Korea’s series of weapons tests. Trump warned of bringing “fire and fury” upon North Korea and began referring to Kim as “Little Rocket Man,” while Kim responded by questioning Trump’s sanity and threatening to “tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire.”
Their relationship appeared to warm in 2019, with Trump becoming the first sitting U.S. president to meet with a North Korean leader. Trump has since described their relationship as friendly, telling a crowd at a recent campaign rally in Pennsylvania, “I got along with Kim Jong-un of North Korea. Remember I walked over […] the first person to ever walk over from this country.”
Elton John also touched on the upcoming U.S. presidential election, saying he does not use his stage to influence voters. “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. They come to see me, and I’m so grateful they have,” John said.
The “Rocket Man” singer added that he hopes people will vote for causes that matter. “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,” John continued.
Elton John remains focused on his music and on encouraging his fans to vote according to their values, without advocating for any particular candidate or party.
