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Donald Trump and A-list stars have rarely seen eye to eye, and the last few days have seen him and his administration lash out or anger several prominent celebrities.
Trump recently attacked one of his go-to foes: Bruce Springsteen.
The two have traded barbs over the years and the latest was during Trump’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Friday, when Trump criticised the rock legend’s appearance for no apparent reason.
“And what about Bruce Springsteen? What the hell happened to that guy?” Trump said during his speech. “He looks like hell. I don’t care what anyone says, I’m not supposed to say. I’m sure he doesn’t like the way I look, but I don’t look so bad.”
Trump also complained that Springsteen made “four political speeches in his three-hour show”, and joked that the rocker’s tour had been renamed “Bored in the USA”.
Then, Trump and his administration angered pop star Katy Perry, who hit out against the White House after its official TikTok account used her song ‘Firework’ in a video featuring military strikes.
The crass video includes footage of explosions while lyrics to the 2010 hit accompany the images, along with the caption: “Iran has been warned.”
Perry, who adds her name to a long list of musicians who have called out the Trump administration for unauthorised use of their songs, took to X this weekend to express her anger. She wrote: “I am deeply appalled and angry to see ‘Firework’ used on the @WhiteHouse TikTok account as a backing track for video footage of military strikes. I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it.”
She added: “I wrote this song to be an anthem of hope, healing, and inner strength for people going through their darkest personal moments. To see a message of self-worth and upliftment weaponized to soundtrack destruction and violence is a complete violation of everything my song stands for. My music is for bringing people together, not celebrating warfare.”
While the Bruce Springsteen jabs are to be expected at this point considering Trump’s long-running animosity towards The Boss, and the White House’s disregard for the approved use of music is sadly commonplace, one recent comment made by Trump about a celebrity has left everyone bewildered.
In a baffling response to being asked to weigh in on NBA star LeBron James’ intention to leave the LA Lakers for the Philadelphia 76ers, and give his opinion on who was the “best ever” – LeBron or Michael Jordan – Trump replied: “Michael Jordan is a guy that’s a friend of mine. I play golf with him. He’s a really good guy.”
He continued: “I think LeBron is – maybe he’s a racist, but maybe he doesn’t like Trump. I don’t know. I only like people that like me, so I would say Michael Jordan all the way.”
The clip of Trump’s response during a White House news conference has gone viral online, and his bizarre accusation has been met with a barrage of criticism.
Check out some of the reactions below:
James previously campaigned for Hillary Clinton in 2016, and then President Joe Biden in 2020. He also publicly endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential election.
The NBA star, 41, recently announced his move to the Philadelphia 76ers, reportedly on a two-year deal. He has won four NBA titles during his career – twice with the Miami Heat, once with the Cleveland Cavaliers and once with the Los Angeles Lakers. He is the NBA’s all-time leader in points and games played, and will be looking to secure a fifth title with the 76ers.
“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team,” James wrote in a lengthy post on social media.
At the time of writing, James has not publicly responded to Trump’s bizarre remark.