Why did Keith Richards want to stab Donald Trump?
Musicians being outspoken about the presidency of Donald Trump from 2016 to 2020 wasn’t uncommon. Trump was a polarising figure, and many left-leaning musicians viewed him as a threat to Western democracy. But before Trump was ever facing criminal charges or even was elected President, plenty of famous people wanted a piece of him, and not in a good way.
All the way back in 1989, The Rolling Stones were touring behind their album Steel Wheels when they decided to stage a pay-per-view concert in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The idea was to stage the concert like a boxing match, and road manager Michael Cohl managed to find an investor who was willing to stage the concert: Donald Trump.
The Stones were weary of Trump even back in the 1980s. Cohl managed to draw up a contract that only gave Trump power in the actual money of the deal. He was otherwise barred from associating himself with the promotional side of the event, even being banned from the concert itself. However, on the day that the Stones were supposed to deliver a press conference for the concert, they ran into some Trump trouble.
“The Stones had such power in those days that the 6:40pm. slot on the national evening news was going to be an interview with the Stones to talk about and promote the pay-per-view,” Cohl told Pollstar in 2016. “At about 5:50pm. I get word that I have to come to the press room in the next building. I run to the press room in the next building and what do you think is happening? There’s Donald Trump giving a press conference, in our room!”
“I give him the [come here gesture]. ‘Come on, Donald, what are you doing? A) You promised us you wouldn’t even be here and, B) you promised you would never do this.’ He says, ‘But they begged me to go up, Michael! They begged me to go up!’ I say, ‘Stop it. Stop it. This could be crazy. Do what you said you would. Don’t make a liar of yourself.’”
Trump’s shenanigans didn’t go over so well with Richards. “They call me back [into the dressing room], at which point Keith pulls out his knife and slams it on the table and says, ‘What the hell do I have you for? Do I have to go over there and fire him myself? One of us is leaving the building – either him, or us.’ I said, ‘No. I’ll go do it. Don’t you worry.’”
Richards didn’t evolve into a supporter, either. When asked his opinion on Trump’s presidential run in 2015, Richard was bewildered. “Can you imagine President Trump? The worst nightmare,” Richards said. “But we can’t say that. Because it could happen. This is one of the wonders of this country. Who would’ve thought Ronald Reagan could be president?”
