Elton John: Donald Trump's nickname “Rocket Man” for Kim Jong-un was “brilliant” and “hilarious” | Elton John

Elton John praised Donald Trump’s “hilarious” use of his hit song “Rocket Man” as a nickname for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Trump has used the nickname frequently, including during a diplomatic crisis between the U.S. and North Korea in 2017, when he said in a speech to the United Nations, “Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself.”

That chill eased somewhat after meetings in 2018 and 2019, and according to Mike Pompeo's 2022 memoir, Never Give an Inch, Trump finally explained the meaning of the nickname to Kim, who did not know Elton John.

Speaking to Variety at the Toronto Film Festival over the weekend, John said of the nickname: “I had to laugh, I thought it was brilliant. I just thought, 'Well done, Donald.' Donald has always been a fan of mine and he's been to my concerts many, many times. So I've always been kind to him and thanked him for his support. When he did that, I just thought it was hilarious. It made me laugh.”

Regarding Kim's ignorance of his work, John said: “Of course he's never heard of me, Kim Jong-un. I would be very surprised if that were the case. I've never been to North Korea and have no intention of doing so. But I thought it was a light-hearted moment and it was fun.”

When asked about the upcoming US presidential election, John spoke out against one of the two candidates and said: “It is none of my business how [fans] Vote…I just hope that people make the right decision to see what the future is going to look like. Is it going to be fire and brimstone…or are we going to have a much calmer, much safer place?

“I just want people to vote for things that are fair, things that people care about: the right to vote, the right to be who you are and not have anyone tell you who you have to be. And that goes all the way up to the Supreme Court.”

John, 77, was in Toronto for the premiere of the documentary “Elton John: Never Too Late,” which will air on Disney+ from December 13. It traces both his music career and his private life. In an emotional press conference on Friday, John said: “I don't want my tombstone to say that he sold a million records. I want it to say that he was a great father and husband.”

At that press conference, he also mentioned the election, but again did not take sides with Trump or Harris, saying: “Kindness will always win… that is what I want for the American elections in November.”

He added: “I'm having the time of my life – except for this damn eye” – a reference to an infection that has limited his vision.

“I am on the road to recovery, but it is an extremely slow process and it will take some time for vision in the affected eye to return,” he wrote in an Instagram post last week.

After the premiere, Radheyan Simonpillai of the Guardian gave Elton John: Never Too Late a two-star review, calling it “a well-received DVD extra… A follow-up to Rocketman, a stunning biopic that captured John's spirit, Never Too Late feels gentle and informative – two words I find depressing when used in connection with Elton John.”