Trump jokes about David Lynch's career being 'over' after comments on his presidency

Director's comments were taken out of context by the US president and right-wing media

Donald Trump joked that David Lynch's career in Hollywood is "officially over" after the renowned director suggested that Trump could go down as "one of the greatest presidents in American history".

The filmmaker behind the likes of Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet explained in an interview with the Guardian that the disruption Trump has caused to America was the reason for his view on Trump's presidency.

"No one is able to counter this guy in an intelligent way," he said, adding that while he felt Trump was not doing a good job himself, he was creating a space where others might: "Our so-called leaders can't take the country forward, can't get anything done," he said. "Like children, they are. Trump has shown all of this."

(Getty Images)

Lynch's comments have since been seized by right-wing media and the US president himself, with his view on how poor a job Trump is doing ignored in favour of the "greatest presidents" quote.

Speaking at a rally in support of South Carolina governor Henry McMaster ahead of a runoff election, with a print-out of the article in his hand, Trump said "plenty" of people in Hollywood voted for him.

However, he mixed up the names and said: "David Lynch could go down as one of the greatest presidents in history."

The crowd cheered regardless and he added: "Of course, there goes his career, right, in Hollywood."

He then read from a Breitbart article: "Veteran film maker David Lynch believes President Donald Trump could be remembered as one of the greatest presidents in American history because of the way he has shaken up the political establishment..." adding his own: "Because of what I've done."

Trump conveniently missed the paragraph where the Guardian referenced Lynch's support for Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson in the presidential election, commenting: "However, he now appears to believe because he was a Democrat or is a Democrat or something, he actually voted for Obama, ha ha, and here is says he voted for Bernie Sanders, OK? But he now says, however, 'he now appears to believe that Trump may have been the right choice', after all."

After some rambling, Trump ended the anecdote with: "There's David Lynch. Enjoy it because his career in Hollywood is officially over."

During the same speech Trump also made a dig at Jimmy Fallon who recently repeated his regret at how he behaved during a light-hearted interview with Trump in the midst of the 2016 election campaign.

"Jimmy Fallon apologised for humanising me, the poor guy, because now he's going to lose all of us," Trump said, going on to make an apparent dig at another late night host, Stephen Colbert, who is a consistent, vocal critic of his.

"The guy on CBS, what a lowlife," he said. "I mean honestly, are these people funny? They're not talented people. I can laugh at myself, frankly if I couldn't I'd be in big trouble. Johnny Carson was talented. This guy on CBS has no talent."