Renowned British musician Rod Stewart has recently made a splash by publicly disavowing ex-President Donald Trump. He voiced strong dissent against Trump’s policies, particularly on arms sales to Israel and climate change policy. Stewart remembers their long-ago friendship and all the wonderful barbecues they shared. Living as next door neighbors in Palm Beach, Florida made them best friends.
Stewart now lives just half a mile from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. We’ve all been to the former president’s Christmas parties and celebrated the social scenes with him. Lately, as political tensions have increased, Stewart’s affection has faded. He described Trump’s decision to sell arms to Israel as “unacceptable.” That would make it almost impossible to have a peaceful solution from the negotiations with these actions in place, he argues.
Stewart hasn’t been shy about expressing his displeasure with the Trump presidency, lambasting his handling of everything from immigration to foreign policy. In a 2017 interview, he said, “Then he became president. Then he became a different guy. Somebody that I didn’t know.” In fact, he is in a constant state of profound disappointment. Yet it is rooted in what he sees as a betrayal of the values he used to associate with Trump.
The artist criticized Trump’s removal from the Paris Accord on climate change as “very awful.” He stated, “That prick in the White House, pulling out of the Paris Accord is terrible,” highlighting his concern over environmental degradation. Stewart believes that humanity is facing dire consequences for its actions, asserting, “I think the good Lord’s intent on wiping us all out because we’ve spoiled the Earth.”
Stewart’s critique here reaches beyond Trump to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, especially aimed at the ongoing military onslaught in Gaza. He contrasted these actions quite dramatically with the historical violence and genocide perpetrated against Jewish people. What Netanyahu is doing to the Palestinians — apartheid, constant fear, and violence — is the precise thing that was done to Jews. It’s extermination, and that’s all he wants — to get rid of them all. “Well I don’t know how they sleep at night,” he said.
So after a long time of being friends, Stewart has decided that he can no longer afford to be friends with Trump. “No, I can’t any more. As long as he’s reselling arms to the Israelis, and he is, or at least he was. How’s that war ever gonna go away?” he said. He conveyed an urgency that resonated in the room as he called for action on these challenges, stating, “Someone’s gotta do something.”
Though admitting a deep respect for President Joe Biden, Stewart mostly stopped short of explaining his partisan affiliation when it came to Biden. His remarks are a tragic yet necessary reminder of the current state of political discourse and a dangerous precedent for leaders to be held accountable.
