(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Elton John had only nice things to say about President Donald Trump’s nickname for North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, “Little Rocket Man,” a reference to the 1972 song Rocket Man.
“I laughed, I thought that was brilliant. just thought, ‘Good on you, Donald,’” John told Variety this week. “Donald’s always been a fan of mine, and he’s been to my concerts many, many times.”
John continued, “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.”
Trump gave Kim the nickname in 2017, first in a series of tweets and later during his United Nations address in September of that same year.
Kim didn’t understand the nickname and was unfamiliar with Elton John, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo revealed in his 2023 book, Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love.
“Of course, he hasn’t heard of me, Kim Jong Un. I’d be very surprised if he had,” John said, laughing, according to Variety. “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.”
In 2017, Trump used the nickname to mock Kim’s frequent missile tests, which many viewed as threats to South Korea and neighboring countries. The two later became friendly, with Trump becoming the first sitting U.S. president to step into North Korea in 2019.
According to Pompeo, Kim didn’t grasp what the “Little Rocket Man” moniker meant, prompting Trump to explain the song reference. Kim and his officials burst into laughter, with Kim reportedly saying, “Rocket man,’ OK. ‘Little,’ not OK.”
Later in the interview, John claimed he usually avoids bringing politics into his concerts but appeared to take a subtle jab at Trump, regurgitating former Vice President Dick Cheney’s endorsement of Kamala Harris.
“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,” he said.
In September 2022, President Joe Biden awarded John with the National Humanities Medal.
