David Lynch Clarifies He Didn't Praise Trump, Tells Him ‘You Are Causing Suffering and Division’
The Twin Peaks director says earlier claim that Trump ‘could go down as one of the greatest presidents’ is being taken out of context
The Twin Peaks director says earlier claim that Trump ‘could go down as one of the greatest presidents’ is being taken out of context
In an interview with The Guardian, which appeared over the weekend, filmmaker David Lynch discussed how US President Donald Trump presented a new political rupture: ‘He could go down as one of the greatest presidents in history because he has disrupted the thing so much. No one is able to counter this guy in an intelligent way.’
In the same newspaper profile, Lynch said that he voted for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic primary ‘and thinks – he’s not sure – he voted Libertarian in the presidential election.’
Lynch hinted that Trump’s arrival – while not a positive thing – has shown the limits of the political status quo. ‘Our so-called leaders can’t take the country forward, can’t get anything done. Like children, they are. Trump has shown all this,’ he said. Historically, the Twin Peaks director has demonstrated a variety of political leanings, supportive of Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, but endorsing Obama in 2012.
Lynch’s comments on Trump made headlines and were soon the subject of heated debate on social media, with his ‘one of the greatest presidents in history’ line quoted out of context, leading some to wonder if it read as an endorsement. Things became even more Lynchian when Trump himself weighed in on the issue while addressing a rally in South Carolina on Monday evening. Unsurprisingly, Trump interpreted the comments as complimentary. ‘There's David Lynch,’ he said while holding a copy of the interview. ‘Enjoy it because his career in Hollywood is officially over.’
Now Lynch has hit back at Trump in a new open letter. ‘Unfortunately, if you continue as you have been, you will not have a chance to go down in history as a great president,’ he wrote. ‘You are causing suffering and division.’
‘It’s not too late to turn the ship around,’ Lynch wrote. ‘Point our ship toward a bright future for all. You can unite the country. Your soul will sing. Under great loving leadership, no one loses – everybody wins. It’s something I hope you think about and take to heart. All you need to do is treat all the people as you would like to be treated.’
Don’t miss our recent interview with the cult director and artist: ‘Q. What could you imagine doing if you didn’t do what you do? A. Surgery.’
