Elton John said in an interview published this week that President Donald Trump could become “one of the greatest presidents in history” if he were to succeed in ending the AIDS epidemic, a goal the singer described as achievable due to bipartisan support and medical advancements, as reported by Breitbart.

Speaking with Variety, the “Rocketman” artist discussed his work addressing HIV/AIDS through global initiatives and praised support from leaders in both parties.

John referenced a congressional delegation he led to South Africa, noting the level of agreement among lawmakers. “Lindsey Graham said it was the best bang for your buck you could possibly get,” John said.

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John told the outlet that bipartisan cooperation on AIDS efforts “makes common sense” and pointed to decades of scientific advances.

“To see us come so far with the medical and scientific advances, and to think this is the only disease that can be completely cured in one’s lifetime,” he said.

“President Trump has maybe solved the peace problem. If he wants to go down as one of the greatest presidents in history … if he ended AIDS, that would really be a feather in his cap.”

Although the singer has never endorsed Trump and declined an invitation to perform at his 2016 inauguration, John acknowledged in a past interview that he found humor in one of the president’s widely discussed remarks.

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Trump famously referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as “Little Rocket Man” in 2017, a public nickname referencing John’s hit song “Rocket Man.”

“I laughed. I thought that was brilliant. I just thought, ‘Good on you, Donald.’ I’ve always been friendly toward him and I thank him for his support,” John said.

Shortly after the Variety interview drew attention, John posted on Instagram to clarify that his comments should not be interpreted as support for the president.

“Part of an interview I gave … is being taken out of context and falsely misconstrued as a personal endorsement of Donald Trump,” he wrote.

“It’s not. I 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.”

John added that he does not use his platform to direct his audience’s political decisions.

“I don’t go on stage 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,” he said.

The interview marks one of the singer’s most direct comments regarding Trump’s presidency, though he reiterated that his views were limited to the administration’s posture toward AIDS research and his personal interactions with the president over the years.

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