Phil Collins criticized President Donald Trump as “nasty” in a Friday interview on “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” while also revealing he has a long-unwritten song about America titled “Fat People With Guns.” The comments come weeks before the 75-year-old British musician is set to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.
Asked directly by Morgan what he thought of Trump, Collins said “not a lot” before criticizing the president’s demeanor and comparing him unfavorably to past American leaders.
“His whole manner is unattractive. Even when he’s saying he did nothing. You know, I think that presidents – because historically, presidents have been eloquent and elegant… but you feel like even if you don’t agree with them, you still respect them. But when someone like Trump is as nasty as he is, you end up feeling dislike for him.”
Collins’ remarks arrive amid an ongoing debate over musicians using their public platforms to criticize Trump and the country more broadly. Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, told Fox News Digital in June that such criticism can land differently with audiences once it moves from targeting a politician to targeting the nation itself.
“Outside of big city bubbles, most Americans really only care about elections during an election year; other than that, they have much bigger cares, concerns, and priorities. That changes; however, when the rhetoric shifts from party-specific, political criticism, to more broad statements about America, in general. Artists with any regard for commercial appeal should ‘measure twice, cut once’ when disparaging American culture, character, and capability. The statement is free, but the response will prove costly.”
During the same interview, Collins discussed his songwriting habits and revealed he has kept a provocative phrase in reserve for years, intending to eventually build a song around it.
“I’ve got a song that’s waiting to be written called ‘Fat People with Guns,’ which is about America, you know, and I just write that phrase down so I don’t forget it.”
Sarah Schmidt, president of PR firm Interdependence, told Fox News Digital in June that artists can face intense backlash when listeners perceive their commentary as mocking Americans themselves rather than critiquing specific policies or politicians.
“If an artist mocks a USA chant from stage, they can face swift and intense backlash because it’s not them commenting on a politician or policy. It’s them criticizing the beliefs of the people who ultimately pay their bills.”
Collins also questioned whether Trump might try to extend his time in office beyond a second term, even as he described himself as
