Rod Stewart Opens Up About Ending Friendship With Donald Trump: “He Became Someone I No Longer Recognize”
From its inception, Rod Stewart has never shied away from his opinion, and he now categorically states in the still quite recent Radio Times interview that there is no longer a friendship between him and U.S. President Donald Trump. Though once neighborly with mutual respect between the two men, he now thinks that he has been turned into an unrecognizable figure. Residing just half a mile away from Trump’s Palm Beach estate, Stewart used to attend the billionaire's Christmas parties and thought highly of the man's buccaneer-like, in all his glory, character. But little by little, he ceased to admire him. In stark contrast to their earlier relationship, the rock star has pointed out the political acts of Trump, especially those connected with foreign policy, as the camel's back.
Political Change Drove a Personal Divide
Despite having publicly supported Trump as recently as 2015, Stewart now strongly opposes the man he once called a friend. Above all, the president’s continued support for selling weapons to Israel amid ongoing conflict has caused a deep moral divide between the two. Stewart expressed that Trump’s stance on this issue makes it impossible for him to maintain any sense of loyalty. Still, this shift in Stewart’s perspective didn’t happen overnight. He says the transition started once Trump took office. “He became another guy,” Stewart remarked, implying that the transformation was not only political but also deeply personal. On the flip side, Stewart insists that friendships must be rooted in shared values, and once those values are compromised, the bond naturally dissolves.
Speaking Out Against War and Injustice
In history, a war between old friends and a deep past seems to weigh on Stewart. He raged against the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and shrieked at Israeli leadership for its brazen assaults. Evoking that past evil, Stewart drew a shrieking parallel between the persecution of Jews in World War II and the massacre of Jews in Gaza. “It means annihilation,” he said. Urgently calling for international intervention, Stewart believes even political considerations should not stand in the way of the realization of the tragedy of over 50,000 Palestinian deaths. These statements, however, must be seen as part of the increasing voice of musicians and artists against what they see as unbridled violence and a global leadership sullied by moral hypocrisy.
