Don’t expect Jon Bon Jovi to “Runaway” from music to run for political office — the rock star calls the life of a lawmaker a “shit existence.”
“Selling yourself and your soul,” the “Livin’ on a Prayer” singer said of politicians, when asked if he might someday trade concerts for the campaign trail in an interview with The Guardian published Monday.
“Hell no,” he added of any political future.
The entertainer was a prominent supporter of President Biden during the 2020 White House race, campaigning for the then-Democratic nominee in Pennsylvania in October. Bon Jovi performed at last week’s inaugural prime-time TV special, making headlines for singing the 1969 Beatles song “Here Comes the Sun” rather than one of his band’s hits.
“I never felt like I needed to sing a song more,” Bon Jovi told the paper following his inauguration appearance. “It was cathartic.”
Bon Jovi, 58, opened up about his “scarring” experience with former President Trump, who he blames for starting a whisper campaign to derail the performer’s attempt to buy the Buffalo Bills in 2014.
“I was really shocked at the depths [Trump] went to,” Bon Jovi said of the ex-commander in chief, who also had an interest in purchasing the NFL team and reportedly instructed an ally to suggest that the singer and his investors would relocate the Bills.
“He wasn’t even qualified to buy the team, because you have to submit your tax returns, and he never filed the paperwork. Instead, he did this dark shadow assassination thing, hoping to buy the team at a bargain basement price. But I just couldn’t understand how this misinformation was being put out there. It was seriously scarring,” Bon Jovi said.
While he allowed former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) to use his music in campaign ads during his 2016 presidential bid, Bon Jovi says he would never extend a musical olive branch to Trump.
“No! No no no! On every issue we wholeheartedly disagree, from how he handled the [COVID-19] crisis to immigration to the Paris accord — everything! No! No!”
Asked for his reaction to Trump being elected in 2016 following the Bills brouhaha, Bon Jovi replied, “Well, like all Americans, I have to support the office of the president — look how political I’m sounding! I’m trying to stop myself from bullshitting.”
“The truth is,” Bon Jovi said, “I was really disappointed.”