Remember when Ellen DeGeneres had to go on her show and explain why she was hanging out and having fun with former president George W. Bush at a football game? Feels like it happened decades ago, but it did in fact happen just last week, and celebrities are still rushing to DeGeneres’ defense.

The latest to do so is fellow gay celebrity Elton John. In an interview with NPR, when asked about the situation, John had this to say: “I admire Ellen for standing up and saying what she said. George Bush has made a lot of mistakes. I made a lot of mistakes. Ellen DeGeneres has made a lot of mistakes. People need to come together […] They need to respect people’s view on life. Except when it’s heresy, and I don’t think George Bush is that kind of guy.”

John has a new memoir out next week, Me, which is why he’s going around giving interviews. You can hear the NPR interview below.