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Sex Pistols' Johnny Rotten Lives Up To His Name by Defending Trump and Praising Brexit

By Bekka Supp | Celebrity | March 29, 2017 |

By Bekka Supp | Celebrity | March 29, 2017 |


In perhaps the least punk thing ever, John Lydon, better known as Johnny Rotten, went on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Monday, where he described meeting Nigel Farage as “fantastic”, defended the Brexit vote, and described President Trump as a “possible friend.” Ironic, in a way, because in an interview on Conan, Lydon said:

I [became an American] because I believed in Barack Obama, and I thought that that was the way forward. His healthcare thing didn’t quite work out what we all want, but there is a great potential there. Now we’re looking at dismantling and, you know, [a] crazy loony monster party.

While Lydon dismissed accusations that Trump is racist, he also believes something “good” can come out of the current political situation in America “because it terrifies politicians,” and that is a “joy to behold” for the singer.

According to NME:

I didn’t expect to be misunderstood, I think I speak very clearly. America now has a new President and whether you like him or not you have to support him or you will destroy the country. You got to make things work.

Lydon continues:

The attitudes that are being pulled on him are stupid and wrong. He’s got some serious money issues and business concerns that deeply fascinate all of us but to be smearing him as a racist, this isn’t right, there’s no evidence or proof to that and until there is, I’ll stand up and say that I think that’s wrong.

It’s an interesting stance for Lydon to take, when he himself had been called a racist in the past. He claims that Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke unfairly labeled him racist back in 2008 when an alleged altercation at a music festival resulted in Okereke suffering severe facial bruising, cuts to his face and body, and a split lip.

In my past I’ve had that accusation thrown at me willy nilly and it’s a damn hard one to have to listen to and endure - make sure it’s right,” Lydon said. “There’s a terrible attitude in left-wing politics - they just feel they have the pomposity and right to just throw these accusations out without any evidence - well don’t because my world requires facts.

Lydon also defended Brexit, describing Nigel Farage’s movement as “fantastic.”

“For the next week and a half the rag-and-bone trade that we call the media is going to be calling me a racist, that’s the tomfoolery of it all,” Lydon said. “That’s going to be damn upsetting all over again to my grandkids, isn’t it?”

Here’s the whole interview:

And here I thought the worst thing Lydon has ever said is that he loves disco music. Let this be a lesson, folks. Sometimes, you have to separate the art from the person or get used to disappointment.

Follow Bekka Supp on Twitter and on the podcast, Debate Club.