David Lynch is quickly hitting the brakes on his controversial remarks about Donald Trump. On Saturday, the filmmaker said in an interview with The Guardian that Trump “could go down as one of the greatest presidents in history” because of how he has managed to disrupt a calcified political system. Even if Trump isnt doing a good job as president, Lynch continued, his outlandish behavior has thrown back the curtain on how inefficient politicians can be, paving the way for other outsiders who can come in and fix the system. Trump quickly embraced the first part of Lynchs message, tweeting out a Breitbart article about the interview, and quoting parts of it at a rally in South Carolina on Monday.
Now, though, it seems the whole thing has finally gone too far for Lynch. The filmmaker wrote a letter to Trump on Tuesday, somewhat putting the kibosh on the escalating situation.
In the letter—which begins with a respectful salutation: “Dear Mr. President”—Lynch said that he wishes he and Trump “could sit down and have a talk.” He went on to say that his somewhat hyperbolic comment was taken out of context. “Unfortunately, if you continue as you have been, you will not have a chance to go down in history as a great president,” he wrote. “This would be very sad it seems for you—and for the country. You are causing suffering and division.”
Lynch also directly appealed to whatever scraps are left of Trumps morality, writing that its “not too late to turn the ship around. Point our ship toward a bright future for all. You can unite the country. Your soul will sing.”
Of course, Trump is currently very busy overseeing policies that separate parents from their children at the southern border, slamming American companies and restaurants, and breathlessly tweeting about his Muslim ban. So his hands are a bit tied up at the moment.
That said, Trump also isnt immune to sitting down with celebrities (or however you want to categorize Lynch) when the mood strikes, previously carving time into his busy schedule for stars like Kanye West and Kim Kardashian (which yielded the pardon of Alice Johnson, a 63-year-old woman who had been serving a life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense). Perhaps, considering all the coverage its received in the last few days, the headline-obsessed, photo op-minded president will set aside some time for Lynchs offer, resulting in a meeting that will be even stranger than any episode of Twin Peaks.
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Sean Spicers little white lie.
The first truth-bending claim of the Trump administration came just a day after the inauguration, when Sean Spicer introduced himself to the world by claiming that Trumps inauguration had drawn the largest audience ever, despite several photos showing a rather sparse crowd. Within a month, Spicer, once a well-respected journeyman flack in D.C. media circles, had cemented his reputation as Trumps own Baghdad Bob.Photo: Left, by Lucas Jackson/Pool/Getty Images; right, by Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images.
Trumps first act of self-sabotage.
Less than two weeks after he was inaugurated, Trump bungled a major campaign promise when he signed an executive order restricting travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. The order sparked protests across the country and threw border control into chaos as it struggled to implement . . . something. Federal courts immediately blocked the ban, declaring that it was an unconstitutional religious test meant to discriminate against Muslims, and pointed to Trumps own comments as proof. The ban continues to wind its way through federal court, continually hamstrung thanks to the way Trump and then adviser Steve Bannon mangled its initial rollout.Photo: By Stephanie Keith/Getty Images.
Kellyanne Conways quest for the perfect angle.
Back when she was still known as Trumps maternal handler, the White House adviser drew scrutiny for kneeling on an Oval Office couch as casually as if she owned the place (she does not). She told the press that she had done so to snap a photo of Trump and a group of visiting presidents of H.C.B.U.s, and that it seemed to be the best angle.Photo: By Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images.
Donald Trumps little side gig.
The lawsuit against Trump University was the perfect allegory for a Trump presidency: the real-estate billionaire stood accused of taking tens of thousands of dollars from regular folks, promising that his financial know-how would make them wealthy overnight, and then leaving them with nothing. Back in March, Trump settled three separate lawsuits—two class-action suits and a fraud case—against the university for $25 million.Photo: By Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images.
Melanias hurricane stilettos.
Of course Melania Trump, former model and Upper East Side inhabitant, would think nothing of wearing stiletto heels while preparing to visit a hurricane disaster zone. But after the Internet slammed her for her tone-deaf fashion faux pas, a practice that goes back centuries, she emerged from Air Force One just hours later wearing a brand-new pair of white sneakers and what appeared to be a mens button-up shirt.Photo: By Alex Wong/Getty Images.
Trumps Twitter feuds, part 2.
North Koreas “three generations of punishment” law dictates that if a citizen commits a crime, they and their entire family will be sent to prison camps, and the next two generations of children will remain there. Somewhat similarly, Donald Trump declared that Steph Currys refusal to attend a White House ceremony acknowledging the Golden State Warriors N.B.A. Championship meant that the entire teams invite was withdrawn. (When N.F.L. player Tom Bradys turn came for a White House invite, he sidestepped controversy by claiming an illness in the family.)Photo: By Maddie Meyer/Getty Images.
Tom Prices nasty private-jet habit.
Of all the Trump administration officials who habitually use taxpayer dollars to fund their private jet travel, Tom Price, the former Health and Human Services secretary, was the only one let go because of it. Granted, his plane use was egregious compared to the other Cabinet members being investigated: whereas Ryan Zinke, Steve Mnuchin, and Scott Pruitt racked up a few thousand dollars in dubious flights to their homes and to the occasional donor party, Price spent $400,0000 on flights to places like Nashville (where his son lives), Philadelphia (which is less than a two-hour train ride from D.C.), and St. Simons, a private island in Georgia where he and his wife happen to own a million-dollar property. Such graft somehow infuriated Trump, who told reporters that he was “not happy” with Prices plane profligacy.Photo: By Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images.PreviousNext
Sean Spicers little white lie.
The first truth-bending claim of the Trump administration came just a day after the inauguration, when Sean Spicer introduced himself to the world by claiming that Trumps inauguration had drawn the largest audience ever, despite several photos showing a rather sparse crowd. Within a month, Spicer, once a well-respected journeyman flack in D.C. media circles, had cemented his reputation as Trumps own Baghdad Bob.Left, by Lucas Jackson/Pool/Getty Images; right, by Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images.
Trumps first act of self-sabotage.
Less than two weeks after he was inaugurated, Trump bungled a major campaign promise when he signed an executive order restricting travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. The order sparked protests across the country and threw border control into chaos as it struggled to implement . . . something. Federal courts immediately blocked the ban, declaring that it was an unconstitutional religious test meant to discriminate against Muslims, and pointed to Trumps own comments as proof. The ban continues to wind its way through federal court, continually hamstrung thanks to the way Trump and then adviser Steve Bannon mangled its initial rollout.By Stephanie Keith/Getty Images.
Kellyanne Conways quest for the perfect angle.
Back when she was still known as Trumps maternal handler, the White House adviser drew scrutiny for kneeling on an Oval Office couch as casually as if she owned the place (she does not). She told the press that she had done so to snap a photo of Trump and a group of visiting presidents of H.C.B.U.s, and that it seemed to be the best angle.By Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images.
Donald Trumps little side gig.
The lawsuit against Trump University was the perfect allegory for a Trump presidency: the real-estate billionaire stood accused of taking tens of thousands of dollars from regular folks, promising that his financial know-how would make them wealthy overnight, and then leaving them with nothing. Back in March, Trump settled three separate lawsuits—two class-action suits and a fraud case—against the university for $25 million.By Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images.
Jared Kushners trendy flak vest.
Among a White House filled with apocalyptic blowhards, stoic generals, and fast-talking fame-seekers, Jared Kushner , an overweening real-estate manager with disproportionate power over his father-in-law, stood out by trying to avoid the spotlight. One could wax poetic about how the Harvard legacy student assumed responsibility for tasks in which he had little experience: overhauling government IT, creating peace in the Middle East, and tackling the opioid epidemic, to name a few. But a picture, as always, speaks a thousand words—specifically that picture of Jared in Iraq, practicing boat-shoes diplomacy in a war zone.By Dominique A. Pineiro/Getty Images.
Trumps stint as Comey-whisperer.
Prior to James Comeys firing, those who believed that his eleventh-hour letter regarding her e-mails cost Hillary Clinton the election saw this image as a clear sign that he supported Trump in all things MAGA. Funny how far a little context can go: Comeys close friend Benjamin Wittes told The New York Times that in an attempt to avoid said photo, the 6-foot-8 Comey attempted to blend in with the blue curtains at the back of the room, futilely hoping that Trump would not spot him.By Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg/Getty Images.
Melanias hand-holding allergy.
If people obsessed over the size of Trumps hands, they were almost equally fixated by Melanias—specifically, why they were seldom anywhere near those of her husband, or why they slapped his away, or what it meant that, when they did come into contact with the presidents diminutive mitts, they instinctively clenched into fists.By Jonathan Ernst/Reuters.
Trumps Twitter feuds, part 1.
Trumps dance of loathing-turned-love-turned-loathing with Morning Joe took a remarkably stupid turn in June, when he decided to bash “Low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe” for criticizing him on their show. Over the course of their feud, Trump at various points suggested Scarborough murdered an intern, and accused Brzezinski of committing an equally heinous crime in his eyes: getting a face-lift.By Mark Peterson/Redux.
John Kellys resting “why me?” face.
When Donald Trump chooses to defend white supremacists or taunt North Korean leadership before a crowd, onlookers draw a small measure of comfort from chief of staff John Kellys crestfallen reactions, reading them as a sign that perhaps someone with some level of sanity holds a modicum of influence over the president. (Kelly, however, insists that he just has the military equivalent of resting bitch face.)By Drew Angerer/Getty Images.
The Secret Services strained coffers.
The law requires that the Secret Service provide protection to the president and vice presidents immediate family, but the law was perhaps unprepared for the globetrotting Trump clan, which consists of one wife, five children, three children-in-law, and eight grandchildren. To complicate matters, Melania Trump adamantly refused to leave Trump Tower for the first several months of the presidency, keeping 11-year-old Barron Trump with her. (Nor did it help that Trump insisted on dragging his coterie to his various properties for golf weekends, forcing the Secret Service to do work overtime.) In August it was reported that the Secret Service would exceed its overtime-pay caps due to the sheer number of man-hours necessary to fulfill their duties.By Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images.
Trumps celestial stare-down.
It is a fairly well-known fact that staring directly at a solar eclipse will fry your retinas, and on the eve of the 2017 eclipse, scientists made sure Americans were prepared, cautioning the general public to wear special glasses or to construct a pinhole viewer. But the president, who is not the biggest fan of scientists, ignored their warnings, choosing instead to gaze directly at the one thing that dared to challenge his position as the star around which everything revolves.By Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images.
Melanias hurricane stilettos.
Of course Melania Trump, former model and Upper East Side inhabitant, would think nothing of wearing stiletto heels while preparing to visit a hurricane disaster zone. But after the Internet slammed her for her tone-deaf fashion faux pas, a practice that goes back centuries, she emerged from Air Force One just hours later wearing a brand-new pair of white sneakers and what appeared to be a mens button-up shirt.By Alex Wong/Getty Images.
Trumps Twitter feuds, part 2.
North Koreas “three generations of punishment” law dictates that if a citizen commits a crime, they and their entire family will be sent to prison camps, and the next two generations of children will remain there. Somewhat similarly, Donald Trump declared that Steph Currys refusal to attend a White House ceremony acknowledging the Golden State Warriors N.B.A. Championship meant that the entire teams invite was withdrawn. (When N.F.L. player Tom Bradys turn came for a White House invite, he sidestepped controversy by claiming an illness in the family.)By Maddie Meyer/Getty Images.
Tom Prices nasty private-jet habit.
Of all the Trump administration officials who habitually use taxpayer dollars to fund their private jet travel, Tom Price, the former Health and Human Services secretary, was the only one let go because of it. Granted, his plane use was egregious compared to the other Cabinet members being investigated: whereas Ryan Zinke, Steve Mnuchin, and Scott Pruitt racked up a few thousand dollars in dubious flights to their homes and to the occasional donor party, Price spent $400,0000 on flights to places like Nashville (where his son lives), Philadelphia (which is less than a two-hour train ride from D.C.), and St. Simons, a private island in Georgia where he and his wife happen to own a million-dollar property. Such graft somehow infuriated Trump, who told reporters that he was “not happy” with Prices plane profligacy.By Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images.
Yohana DestaYohana Desta is a Hollywood writer for VanityFair.com.
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