John Lennon’s younger son has shared his thoughts on one of Taylor Swift‘s biggest hits, saying that while it made him “uncomfortable,” he has “a lot of respect” for the star.
Sean Ono Lennon, the only son of the late Beatles singer and his wife Yoko Ono, took to X to discuss Swift on September 15, writing: “Hating on Taylor Swift is not a good look,” referring to former President Donald Trump, who lashed out at the singer after she endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in the November election.
“I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” Trump wrote in response on Sunday on Truth Social.
Taylor Hill/Getty Images, Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Netflix
Lennon followed up his original post by criticizing Trump, who is the Republican presidential nominee, saying that while he has “have never been a fan of her music,” it was “not a good look” for “some old grumpy dude to get angry at her.”
“I can’t think of a single song so I don’t really know if I like it or not,” Lennon said of Swift’s music. “But I know she is a uniquely successful American. A young woman who has done things in a way that no one has done before her.”
Lennon continued later in the post: “A more ‘presidential’ or gracious criticism might have been something like ‘She is a brilliant young woman. I have a lot of respect for what she has accomplished. I don’t believe she knows the reality of the party she is endorsing. I hope her fans are able to make up their own minds and understand the big difference between a talent in music and an understanding of politics or economics.'”
The following day, Lennon returned to X to clarify a point he had made and revealed that one Swift lyric made him “uncomfortable.”
“I can’t believe I forgot this one but I actually remember a Taylor song called bad blood (or something). I remember she rhymed mad love with bad blood and that kind of made me uncomfortable,” he wrote referring to her 2014 song “Bad Blood.”
“This is only to say that it was not true I don’t know any songs. I know that one. I have nothing against her. I have a lot of respect for what she has accomplished. I certainly could never do what she does.”
Newsweek contacted Lennon and Swift’s representatives by email for comment.
I can’t believe I forgot this one but I actually remember a Taylor song called bad blood (or something). I remember she rhymed mad love with bad blood and that kind of made me uncomfortable.
This is only to say that it was not true I don’t know any songs. I know that one.
I…
— Seán Ono Lennon (@seanonolennon) September 16, 2024
Swift endorsed Harris and her vice-presidential candidate, Tim Walz, following the presidential debate on September 10.
“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” she told her 284 million Instagram followers just after the debate between Harris and Trump concluded.
Lennon was not the only person to slam Trump for his post about Swift. Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly also shared his opinion, saying the criticism would be harmful to his campaign.
“With Trump, it’s all centric, he’s got to look out,” O’Reilly said on NewsNation’s On Balance with Leland Vittert. “When he gets into eating cocker spaniels and ‘I hate Taylor Swift,’ he hurts himself.”