Hollywood is divided over the upcoming presidential race, especially after George Clooney’s surprising op-ed calling for President Joe Biden to step down, just weeks after Clooney and other stars hosted a fundraiser for Biden’s campaign. One of Hollywood’s most contrarian actors, Jon Voight, has now publicly defended former President Donald Trump as he enters his second week of campaigning against Vice President Kamala Harris.
Jon Voight, an 85-year-old, four-time Oscar winner and a prominent figure in old Hollywood, urged his fellow actors to support Trump during an interview with Variety. Voight also expressed concern over the influence of far-left voices on his daughter, Angelina Jolie, who has been vocal against Israel in its conflict with Hamas. “She has been exposed to propaganda,” Voight said about his daughter’s activism. “She’s been influenced by anti-Semitic people.”
Voight’s praise for Trump prompted Variety reporter Stephen Rodrick to describe him as “Hollywood’s most outspoken Trump supporter,” noting Voight’s comparison of Trump’s presidency to that of Abraham Lincoln. When asked if he truly believed Trump was on par with Lincoln in the pantheon of American presidents, Voight affirmed, “Absolutely. Who else has faced greater challenges and enemies since Lincoln?”
Voight recounted his first meeting with Trump in the 1990s at a party in New York, where Trump approached him to express admiration for one of Voight’s films. This encounter left a lasting impression on Voight. He emphasized that his support for Trump was not influenced by receiving the National Medal of Arts and the National Humanities Medal from Trump in 2020. “I don’t care about all that stuff,” Voight said. “I only have a few years left, and I want to spend them trying to save our American way of life,” which he believes is “slipping away forever.”
When asked whether Trump’s rhetoric contributed to the climate that led to the July 13th assassination attempt on him, Voight dismissed the notion that such hate could be attributed to a single individual’s remarks. “Well, that’s your opinion,” Voight responded to Rodrick. “I’m very careful about what I say. But when I see the attacks on this man, I know they’re coming from a hateful, evil place.”
“I’ve been the most outspoken supporter of Donald Trump in Hollywood, with pride,” Voight continued. “I’ve been saying he’s the answer, the only answer. Now, after this, maybe they will look at Jon Voight in a different way. If Donald Trump is being revealed in this way, maybe they will see a supporter like me in a different light.”