Elton John praises Donald Trump's 'brilliant' nickname for Kim Jong Un: 'It made me laugh'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Singer Elton John thought former president Donald Trump nicknaming North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as "Rocket Man" was "brilliant" while weighing in on the topic years after the quip was made.

John released his song 'Rocket Man' in 1972, which became a massive hit and boosted him to stardom. The song and the singer became so synonymous that his biopic released in 2019 shared the same title.

According to ABC News, Trump first referred to the North Korean leader by the nickname while addressing the United Nations for the first time on September 19, 2017.

The then-POTUS tore into the East Asian country on the subject of nuclear weapons, stating, "No nation on earth has an interest in seeing this band of criminals arm itself with nuclear weapons and missiles. The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. The United States is ready, willing, and able, but hopefully, this will not be necessary."

Elton John praises Donald Trump's nickname for Kim Jong Un 

Elton John, 77, who is a vocal supporter of President Joe Biden, was asked by Variety magazine's Ramin Setoodeh at the Toronto Film Festival, "I know that you're not a supporter of Donald Trump. He loves your music. How did it feel when he took the lyrics to 'Rocket Man' and he used it as a nickname for Kim Jong Un?"

"I laughed. I thought it was brilliant. I just thought 'Good on you, Donald.' I'm the rocket man," replied John.

"Donald's always been a fan of mine and he has been to my concerts many, many times. So, I mean, I've always been friendly towards him and I, I thank him for his support. I just thought it was hilarious. It made me laugh," he added.

The interviewer further shared that Trump had gifted a CD of Elton John, which he signed himself, to Kim Jong Un to explain to him the meaning behind his nickname.

“Of course, he hasn’t heard of me, Kim Jong Un. I’d be very surprised if he had,” quipped John. “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.”

Elton John hailed for not being political in his response

Reacting to Elton John's interview clip, social media users on X (formerly Twitter) were happy that the singer did not take the opportunity to slam Donald Trump, even though he does not subscribe to the latter's political views.

"Not everyone has to be political all the time. Some people can just be humans," wrote one social media user.

"This is phenomenal, makes me appreciate Elton so much more. The interviewer seemed to set him up for a viral headline, but he didn’t take the bait and really answered the way any artist should. Especially if they don’t want inalienate fans," shared another.

"He's a legend. Unbelievable songwriter and the ultimate showman! What a class act!" exclaimed one person.

"Really cool response," added another.

"Thank God Elton John has a sense of humor!" one individual stated.

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