Elton John Says Trump Could Become “One of the Greatest Presidents in History”

Music legend Elton John said he believes former President Donald Trump could be remembered as “one of the greatest presidents in history” if he were to end the AIDS epidemic. The comments were made during an interview with Variety while discussing efforts to fight the global disease.

John, who has long supported HIV/AIDS research, praised bipartisan efforts dedicated to ending the illness. “Lindsey Graham said it was the best bang for your buck you could possibly get,” he said about a delegation he led to South Africa. “The bipartisan thing makes common sense. To see us come so far with the medical and scientific advances, and to think this is the only disease that can be completely cured in one’s lifetime.”

He continued, “President Trump has maybe solved the peace problem. If he wants to go down as one of the greatest presidents in history … if he ended AIDS, that would really be a feather in his cap.”

Although John has known Trump for years, he never publicly endorsed him and declined an invitation to perform at the 2016 inauguration. In past comments, John admitted he laughed when Trump called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “Little Rocket Man,” a phrase inspired by his famous song. “I laughed. I thought that was brilliant. I just thought, ‘Good on you, Donald.’ I’ve always been friendly toward him and I thank him for his support,” he said.

After reports framed his words as political praise, John clarified the comments on Instagram, saying they were taken out of context. “Part of an interview I gave … is being taken out of context and falsely misconstrued as a personal endorsement of Donald Trump,” he wrote. “It’s not. I was simply acknowledging the fact that Trump has long been a fan of my music, and that historically he’s been very kind to me about that.”

John added that he avoids promoting political sides during performances, saying, “I don’t go on stage and say to people, ‘you mustn’t vote for the Republicans, you mustn’t vote for the Democrats.’ It’s none of my business how they vote.”

While John distanced himself from political statements, his remarks still reflected a measure of respect for Trump’s personality and humor, and his belief that major health breakthroughs can come through cooperation rather than partisanship.

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