Donald Trump called Taylor Swift “beautiful” five times in rapid succession during a recently recorded interview — though the former president doesn’t appear to be familiar with the international pop star’s music.
“I think she’s beautiful, very beautiful” Trump told Variety’s Ramin Setoodeh during a taped interview for the editor-in-chief’s “Apprentice in Wonderland,” which hit bookstores this week.
Setoodeh shared that recording with CNN Wednesday.
“I find her very beautiful,” Trump continued on the recording.
Setoodeh told CNN that during his four hours of interviewing Trump, the 78-year-old politician admitted to not knowing Swift’s songs, though he “hear[s] she’s very talented.”
Trump also speculated the 34-year-old superstar is liberal and “probably doesn’t like Trump.”
But Trump seems to like Swift. A lot.
“I think she’s very beautiful, actually,” Trump persisted. “Unusually beautiful.”
CNN reported earlier this month that Trump expressed disappointment during a meeting with House Republicans that Swift doesn’t support him.
While the pop star doesn’t often speak publicly about politics, but she supported the Democratic ticket in the 2020 presidential election. Joe Biden shared a photo on Instagram of Swift holding a plate of cookies decorated with the Biden-Harris logo.
It’s long been rumored that Swift’s 2019 song “You Need to Calm Down” is about Trump’s preoccupation with her.
“You are somebody that I don’t know, but you’re taking shots at me like it’s Patrón,” she sings.
The song — which also appears to take aim at his early morning social media rants and attacks on the LGBTQ community — was released on Trump’s 73rd birthday and smack dab in the middle of Pride Month.
“Why are you mad when you could be GLAAD?” she sings, referencing the LGBTQ advocacy group.
But Swift has been even more direct in her distaste for Trump than in her not-so-subtle lyrics.
After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? ‘When the looting starts the shooting starts’??? We will vote you out in November. @realdonaldtrump
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) May 29, 2020
“After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence?” she wrote on X at the start of the Black Lives Matter protests.
In another tweet three months later, Swift wrote, “Donald Trump’s ineffective leadership gravely worsened the crisis that we are in and he is now taking advantage of it to subvert and destroy our right to vote and vote safely.”
CNN is hosting Trump’s debate with President Joe Biden Thursday night in Atlanta, while Swift resumes her record-breaking Eras Tour on Friday in Ireland.
