Fact Check: Did late Kurt Cobain predict his generation would elect 'true outsider' like Trump as POTUS?
WASHINGTON, DC: For years, a quote attributed to Kurt Cobain has circulated online. According to the claim, the Nirvana frontman had predicted someone like President Donald Trump would be elected to the Oval Office.
The quote, allegedly from 1993, reads, "In the end, I believe my generation will surprise everyone. We already know that both political parties are playing both sides from the middle and we'll elect a true outsider when we fully mature."
It further read, "I wouldn't be surprised if it's not a business tycoon who can't be bought and who does what's right for the people. Someone like Donald Trump as crazy as that sounds."
The quote has been shared widely across social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. However, after a thorough investigation, there is no evidence to suggest that Kurt Cobain actually said these words. In fact, we rated the claim as misattributed.
Kurt Cobain quote from 1993!
— Jack Straw (@JackStr42679640) February 12, 2025
"In the end I believe my generation will surprise everyone. We already know that both political parties are playing both sides from the middle and we'll elect a true outsider when we fully mature. I wouldn't be surprised if it's not a business tycoon… pic.twitter.com/waS6eDL8Ko
Origin of claim about Kurt Cobain predicting Donald Trump would become president
The rumor about Kurt Cobain’s prediction appears to have started in July 2016, when a post containing the alleged quote appeared on a pro-Donald Trump Facebook page named “Trump Train.”
While this post was removed, a screenshot of it was captured by an AFP reporter in 2018 for a fact check.
The post itself was a meme containing the quote, but it had a clear error -- Cobain’s first name was misspelled as “Curt.” This error raised questions about the authenticity of the quote from the very beginning.
Danny Goldberg refutes claim that Kurt Cobain would have supported Donald Trump
In addition to the typos and lack of credible sources, Kurt Cobain's former manager, Danny Goldberg, has publicly refuted the idea that the musician would have endorsed a “business tycoon” like Donald Trump for president.
In an essay for The Nation published in 2018, Goldberg explained that based on his personal knowledge of Cobain and several interviews the musician gave in the early 1990s, the Nirvana frontman would never have supported a figure like Trump.
Goldberg cited a 1992 interview with Argentine reporter Sergio Marchi, in which Cobain expressed strong distaste for another wealthy businessman Ross Perot, who was running for president as an independent candidate at the time, Snopes reported.
According to Goldberg, Cobain said of Perot, "The guy s**ks. He's rich; I don't trust him as president."
This statement directly contradicts the notion that Cobain would have supported a businessman like Trump. Goldberg’s perspective, grounded in his long association with Cobain, further discredits the rumor.
Despite the claim that Kurt Cobain predicted his generation would elect someone like Donald Trump, there is no verifiable evidence to support it. The alleged quote has been misattributed, with the origins of the rumor traced back to a Facebook post in 2016, which contained several inaccuracies.
Furthermore, Goldberg’s insights into Cobain’s political views suggest that he would not have supported a “business tycoon” like Trump. Therefore, this claim is a fabrication.
