Matthew McConaughey, an “aggressive centrist” who may or may not be considering a career in politics, has more than a little sympathy for the supporters of President Donald Trump, who are questioning whether he really lost the Nov. 3 election.
During comedian Russell Brand’s “Under the Skin” podcast, McConaughey criticized those in the entertainment industry who are urging Trump supporters to passively give up on hope of overturning the election results.
The 51-year-old Oscar winner agreed with Brand that Trump’s base has faced “condemnation and criticism of ordinary working people” by liberal Hollywood
“(There is) a kind of offhandedness, like, ‘Oh, they’re dumb, they’re voting for Brexit, they’re voting for Trump.’ I don’t like it, and I don’t like to hear it,” Brand said.
McConaughey likewise condemned “the illiberal left” who “absolutely condescend, patronize, and are arrogant towards that other 50 percent.”
McConaughey also attempted to compare the election denial of Trump’s supporters to the anguish felt by Democrats after Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election.
“I’m sure you saw it in our industry when Trump was voted in four years ago, they were in denial that was real. Some of them were in absolute denial,” McConaughey told Brand.
However, in making his comparison, he left out the fact that Clinton quickly conceded her loss, unlike Trump. The “Dallas Buyers Club” star also didn’t mention that Clinton and her Democratic supporters didn’t press false claims of widespread election fraud for weeks or continue to mount questionable legal challenges to overturn election results in several states.
McConaughey acknowledged that the denial among Trump’s supporters may be because of the “fake news” they are being fed, although it’s unclear which outlets he considers to be “fake news.”
“(Now) it looks like Biden’s our guy,” McConaughey said. “Now you’ve got the right that’s in denial, cause their side has fake news. And I understand, they’ve been fed fake news. No one knows what the hell to believe, right? So they’re putting down their last bastion of defense.”
McConaughey’s interview comes as he is promoting his autobiography, “Greenlights,” as well as his “middle-of-the-road” view of politics.
During his book tour, the Texas native has talked up his growing interest in politics, and even said he wouldn’t totally rule out a run for Texas governor or some other political office, according to USA Today.
“I don’t know. I mean, that wouldn’t be up to me. It would be up to the people more than it would me,” McConaughey said in an interview last month. “Look, politics seems to be a broken business to me right now. And when politics redefines its purpose, I could be a hell of a lot more interested.”
McConaughey’s politics were described as “center-right” by USA Today. However, a columnist for The Texas Signal made the argument that he would be the ideal candidate for Texas Democrats to run for governor in 2022.
As McConaughey has been increasingly using his platform to highlight important societal issues, he also enjoys “plenty of name recognition,” columnist William Kim said. He also is “extraordinarily charismatic,” and he knows how to tell a story, when “politics is largely about telling a story.”
Certainly, McConaughey was in story-telling mode on Brand’s podcast as he offered an explanation for why the left needs to be less condescending to Trump supporters and to find a way to bring the two opposing political sides together.
In his Texas drawl, he recounted how a friend recently said to him: “You know what’s in the middle of the road McConaughey? Yellow lines and dead armadillos. Let me tell you something, bud. I’m walking down the yellow line right now, and the armadillos are running free and having a great time. You know why. The two sides, the two vehicles on the opposite side of the political divide, are are so far apart, their tires aren’t even on the pavement anymore.”
McConaughey said “the science” also supports a more centrist approach.
“The left will have to understand the science and values of ‘meet you in the middle.'” McConaughey said.
“Neurologically and scientifically, I see the supply, I understand the demand, I see the credit sheet,” he continued. “I see the numbers work out. It’s scientific. I believe there is science to it. I still need to work on what is that measurement of those values.”
