Share
News

Hollywood Icon Clint Eastwood Makes Surprise Bloomberg Endorsement

Share

Clint Eastwood has made a surprising endorsement of former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, despite the former mayor’s poor performance at the Democratic debate this week.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the movie maker said that “the politics has gotten so ornery.”

He told The Journal that he approves of “certain things that Trump’s done” but wishes he would act “in a more genteel way, without tweeting and calling people names. I would personally like for him to not bring himself to that level.”

And then Eastwood made his shocking endorsement: “The best thing we could do is just get Mike Bloomberg in there.”

Bloomberg has just come off a week of poor reviews after his Wednesday performance at the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate debate in Las Vegas.

Bloomberg took a beating from his fellow Democrats on the debate stage and was criticized for his treatment of women, stop-and-frisk policy and the millions of dollars he has spent on his campaign.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren perhaps had the harshest words about Bloomberg.

“I’d like to talk about who we’re running against: a billionaire who calls women ‘fat broads’ and ‘horse-faced lesbians,’” she said. “No, I’m not talking about Donald Trump.”

Are you surprised by Eastwood's endorsement?

“I’m talking about Mayor Bloomberg. Democrats are not going to win if we have a nominee who has a history of hiding his tax returns, of harassing women and supporting racist policies like redlining and stop-and-frisk,” Warren argued.

Eastwood has traditionally leaned to the right on the political spectrum and served as the Republican mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, from 1986 to 1988, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

However, Eastwood told Ellen DeGeneres in an interview that he preferred the libertarian point of view, Reason reported.

“This is part of the libertarian idea: Leave everybody alone. Leave everybody alone,” he said.

He famously criticized former President Barack Obama in a speech in which he traded dialogue with a chair he pretended Obama was sitting on.

The director also said that given the choice between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in 2016, he would vote for Trump, Reuters reported.

Related:
Hollywood Is Remaking a Clint Eastwood Western Classic: Report

“That’s a tough one, isn’t it? I’d have to go for Trump … you know, ’cause she’s declared that she’s gonna follow in Obama’s footsteps,” he said at the Republican National Convention.

In his interview with The Wall Street Journal, Eastwood defended his stance on the controversy created by his latest film “The Ballad of Richard Jewell” because of its depiction of Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs.

The paper called the depiction “entirely false and malicious, and … extremely defamatory and damaging” in a letter to Warner Bros.

Eastwood said that they just changed the story a little when Scruggs was portrayed sleeping with a Federal Bureau of Investigation source to get the scoop.

“Well, she hung out at a little bar in town, where mostly police officers went,” he said. “And she had a boyfriend that was a police officer. Well, we just changed it in the story. We made it a federal police officer instead of a local.”

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , , , , ,
Share
Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. A University of Oregon graduate, Erin has conducted research in data journalism and contributed to various publications as a writer and editor.
Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. She grew up in San Diego, California, proceeding to attend the University of Oregon and graduate with honors holding a degree in journalism. During her time in Oregon, Erin was an associate editor for Ethos Magazine and a freelance writer for Eugene Magazine. She has conducted research in data journalism, which has been published in the book “Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future.” Erin is an avid runner with a heart for encouraging young girls and has served as a coach for the organization Girls on the Run. As a writer and editor, Erin strives to promote social dialogue and tell the story of those around her.
Birthplace
Tucson, Arizona
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated with Honors
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, University of Oregon
Books Written
Contributor for Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future
Location
Prescott, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English, French
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Health, Entertainment, Faith




Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.

Conversation