Mel Gibson shares support for Donald Trump
Actor Mel Gibson has vocalised his support for US presidential candidate Donald Trump during an interaction with the press at an airport on October 24th.
The Australian-born actor, who is best known for starring and directing in the 1995 Oscar-winning period action movie Braveheart, was one of the most in-demand actors and a respected director in Hollywood when he was blacklisted for nearly a decade following a spate of antisemitic, racist, and homophobic rhetoric. He was also arrested on a charge of domestic battery.
In his statement on the presidential election, Gibson wasted no time in not only voicing his support for Trump, but bashing his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.
When asked who he would be voting for, the actor said (via Variety), “I don’t think it’s going to surprise anyone who I vote for.” When the cameraman asked if Trump was a bad guess, Gibson replied, “I think that’s a pretty good guess. I know what it’ll be like if we let her in. And that ain’t good. Miserable track record. No policies to speak of. She’s got the IQ of a fence post.”
Gibson is one of the few figures in the entertainment industry to support former president and convicted felon Trump now or in the previous two elections. Vice President Harris has won the endorsement of everyone from Taylor Swift to Oprah Winfrey, the latter of whom made a speech at the Democratic National Convention in August.
More recently, Bruce Springsteen, Eminem, Julia Roberts, and Spike Lee have appeared at her campaign events.
Meanwhile, the list of celebrities who have stopped Trump from using their music during rallies is just as starry. Beyoncé, Jack White, Johnny Marr, Céline Dion, Neal Young, and the Rolling Stones are just the tip of the iceberg.
Celebrities supporting Donald Trump
Although the scales are tipped decisively toward Vice President Harris in the entertainment industry, a few celebrities have endorsed Trump. Actors Dennis Quaid and Jon Voight are among them, as well as musicians Kid Rock and Azealia Banks.
Following Trump’s first assassination attempt in July, rapper 50 Cent posted a photo of the candidate’s face on the cover of his Get Rich or Die Tryin album, which, although not an explicit endorsement, is in keeping with statements he made during the 2020 election in which he alluded to his support.
Trump’s most significant celebrity booster is billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has appeared at several of the candidate’s rallies. He’s also controversially conducted a lottery in which he gives away million-dollar checks to people who register to vote in swing states ahead of the election.
Harris and Trump are currently neck-and-neck in national polls. The election takes place on November 5th.
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