Sex Pistols Frontman Johnny Rotten Supports President Donald Trump And Brexit
Punk godfather Johnny Rotten recently came forward in support of President Donald J. Trump and heralded the rise of populist and anti-establishment movements across the western world, saying that “the working class have spoken” in an interview on a British morning show where he was promoting his new book.
Rotten, whose real name is John Lydon, says that he feels that Donald Trump was unfairly “smeared” as a racist by what he calls the liberal and left-wing media. Johnny made his name in pop culture fronting the notorious British band the Sex Pistols, who with only one studio album and four singles managed to start the punk movement of the mid-70s and early-80s.
Johnny Rotten also compared President Donald Trump’s status as an “outsider” politician and his unconventional rhetoric to the punk attitude, dubbing Trump as a “punk rock politician” rebelling against the media establishment elites. The singer also called Trump a “political Sex Pistol.”
Rotten also said, “What I dislike is the left wing media in America are trying to smear the bloke as a racist, and that’s completely not true.”
Speaking on ITV’s morning show Good Morning Britain, Johnny Rotten admits that there are numerous issues with President Trump as a person, however, the fact that Donald Trump “scares” politicians is as good an indicator as any that there is a chance of good things happening under his administration.
When the show’s host, former CNN talk show host Piers Morgan, began describing Trump as a “the archetypal anti-establishment figure,” Johnny quickly rebutted, saying those characteristics would make Trump “a possible friend.”
“There are many, many problems with him as a human being but he’s not that, and there just might be a chance something good will come out of this situation because it terrifies politicians. This is a joy to behold for me.”
The former Sex Pistols singer is, unsurprisingly, no stranger to anti-establishment views, seeing as his band’s 1977 single “God Save The Queen,” which brandishes the U.K. royal family as a “fascist regime,” earned the band unrivalled notoriety, especially after the song was banned by the BBC and the Independent Broadcasting Authority.
The bans effectively meant that the song, which was released on Queen Elizabeth II’s “Silver Jubilee,” would get little to no radio play. Despite this, the song managed to hit No. 1 on the NME charts in the U.K. and No. 2 on the U.K. Singles Charts.
Johnny Rotten also praised Nigel Farage, the former leader of UKIP, citing the time the populist, right-wing politician led a flotilla of pro-Brexit fishermen against a group of pro-EU millionaires and celebrities in what has since come to be known as the “Battle for the Thames.”
“I wanted to shake [Nigel Farage’s] hand because it was silly beyond belief,” Rotten said.
He was also glad that the “working classes had risen up against the Tories (UK’s Conservative Party)” and were “taking back the country” by voting to leave the EU.
Johnny also said, “Where do I stand on Brexit? Well, here it goes; the working class have spoke, and I’m one of them, and I’m with them.”
The 61-year-old has mellowed with age, and he even revealed that he is rather fond of the U.K. monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, to the music website the Quietus. Although he did insist that he remains against the concept of a monarchy, he doesn’t harbor ill-feelings for Her Majesty personally.
“I will sorely miss her as a human being on planet Earth. It is not her fault she was born into a gilded cage,” Johnny Rotten said, “I don’t know about the ‘reign’ part, but long may she live.”
In that interview a few weeks ago, he also revealed the meaning of the song “God Save The Queen”, saying it’s “about a political situation and the demand for obedience to a monarchy I don’t believe in.”
[Featured Image by Richard Drew/AP Images]
