Much like some of his art, David Lynch has been misunderstood.
On Tuesday, the “Twin Peaks” creator posted an open letter to President Donald Trump on Facebook, clarifying an earlier statement he’d made that Trump “could go down as one of the greatest presidents in history.”
“I wish you and I could sit down and have a talk,” Lynch’s letter read. “This quote which has traveled around was taken a bit out of context and would need some explaining.”
Over the weekend, the 72-year-old filmmaker told The Guardian, “I am not really a political person, but I really like the freedom to do what you want to do.”
He then added: “[Trump] could go down as one of the greatest presidents in history because he has disrupted the thing so much. No one is able to counter this guy in an intelligent way.”
Lynch’s quote went viral. Breitbart was one of the many media outlets that picked up the story, and claimed the filmmaker “now appears to believe that Trump may have been the right choice.” Lynch never said that.
On Monday, Trump retweeted Breitbart’s article, compelling Lynch to explain his position.
“Unfortunately, if you continue as you have been, you will not have a chance to go down in history as a great president,” Lynch wrote. “This would be very sad it seems for you – and for the country. You are causing suffering and division.”