Sir Elton John has refused to discuss President Trump’s “Rocket Man” moniker for North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Un.
“Have no comment,” John’s American-based publicist Fran Curtis, of Rogers & Cowan, told the Washington Examiner when asked about the British music legend’s thoughts on Trump using the title of his 1972 hit single to describe the rogue nation’s leader.
Trump first referred to Kim as “Rocket Man” in an early morning tweet on Sept. 17 and he repeated it in a formal address before the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 19.
I spoke with President Moon of South Korea last night. Asked him how Rocket Man is doing. Long gas lines forming in North Korea. Too bad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 17, 2017
The inspiration of Trump’s nickname is unclear, with The Economist magazine also referencing “Rocket Man” in its July 8, 2006, cover story about the North Korean regime.
But “Rocket Man” is not the only lyric from John and songwriting partner Bernie Taupin’s discography to find its way into the president’s lexicon.
During a Tuesday press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, Trump said he was not preoccupied with his battle with the NFL over players protesting police brutality during the national anthem: “I have plenty of time on my hands, all I do is work.”
“Time on my hands” features in John’s 1983 song, “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues.”
In addition, Trump has repeatedly called Kim a “madman,” borrowing from John’s 1971 studio album and track “Madman Across the Water.”
