“They came up to my father and said ‘your son is brilliant at music, he’d be an incredible musician... I could’ve been a flutist”: Donald Trump is claiming musical bones

Fred Armisen as George Ross, Amy Poehler as Carolyn Kepcher, Donald Trump during "The Apprentice Band" skit on April 3, 2004
Donald Trump during "The Apprentice Band" SNL skit on April 3, 2004 (Image credit: Getty/Mary Ellen Matthews/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal)

Donald Trump has made some bizarre, ridiculous and downright bonkers claims in his time. Now, to that small mountain of craziness, you can add the notion that he “could’ve been a flutist.”

We think he means ‘flautist’. Never mind.

The current president was speaking on the Pod Force One podcast when he started talking about his love of music and, as is his wont, rambled on for some while.

“I had flute lessons,” he told the host Miranda Devine in the most recent episode that went out yesterday. “Can you believe it? I could’ve been a flutist. I didn’t particularly like it, it wasn’t for me.”

He revealed that his parents had once taken him for aptitude tests.

“My father and mother took me to a place, like an aptitude place, to see what I would be good at (and) what my talent was…at pretty young, probably like 11 or 12,” Trump recalled.

“(After) a couple days, they came up to my father and they said ‘your son is brilliant at music, he’d be an incredible musician’”

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This wasn’t what his fearsome father, Fred Sr, wanted to hear, it seems. “This was not the greatest thing, you know,” Trump said. “But I do have an ear for music… People like the music I play.”

He went on: “Music has been important. Also, it gives you energy… People that produce good music are really talented in my opinion, it’s not an easy thing to do,” the politician explained, adding, “I like country music a lot.”

“I think Elton John is terrific,” Trump declared. “I think he’s absolutely terrific…And there are some people that make it that I don’t think are talented.”

Trump’s love of Elton may seem incongruous, but it makes some sort of sense. After all, the singer has – unlike many other A-list stars – been remarkably restrained when it comes to his public comments about the 47th President. Last year Elton gave an interview to Variety, in which he said: “Donald’s always been a fan of mine; he’s been to my concerts many, many times. I’ve always been friendly towards him. I thank him for his support.”

He later clarified his statement, lest anyone think it was a personal endorsement. “I don’t go on stage and say to people ‘you mustn’t vote for the Republicans’ or ‘you mustn’t vote for the Democrats’. It none of my business how they vote. They come to see me, and I’m so grateful they have.”

“I don’t go onstage and say to people, ‘You mustn’t vote for the Republicans, you mustn’t vote for the Democrats.’ It’s none of my business how they vote. They come to see me, and I’m so grateful they have.” was simply acknowledging the fact that Trump has long been a fan of my music, and that historically he’s been very kind to me about that.”

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Will Simpson
News and features writer

Will Simpson is a freelance music expert whose work has appeared in Classic Rock, Classic Pop, Guitarist and Total Guitar magazine. He is the author of 'Freedom Through Football: Inside Britain's Most Intrepid Sports Club' and his second book 'An American Cricket Odyssey' is due out in 2025

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