Clint Eastwood: Trump Isn’t Racist

Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood said he might support Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, and anybody concerned about Trump’s allegedly racist rhetoric should “just f***ing get over it.”

“He’s said a lot of dumb things,” Eastwood said of Trump in an interview with Esquire. “So have all of them. Both sides. But the press and everybody’s going, ‘Oh, well, that’s racist,’ and they’re making a big hoodoo out of it. Just f***ing get over it. It’s a sad time in history.”

Earlier in the interview, Eastwood was asked if he believes the scowl Trump often puts on during interviews is somehow inspired by one of the famous actor’s tough-guy roles.

“Maybe. But he’s onto something, because secretly everybody’s getting tired of political correctness, kissing up,” the 86-year-old said. “That’s the kiss-ass generation we’re in right now. We’re really in a pussy generation. Everybody’s walking on eggshells. We see people accusing people of being racist and all kinds of stuff. When I grew up, those things weren’t called racist.”

Eastwood added he was inspired to make the film “Gran Torino” precisely because it had language and scenes that some might find offensive.

“And then when I did ‘Gran Torino,’ even my associate said, ‘This is a really good script, but it’s politically incorrect.’ And I said: ‘Good. Let me read it tonight.’ The next morning, I came in and I threw it on his desk and I said, ‘We’re starting this immediately,’” Eastwood said.

Eastwood is no stranger to conservative politics. Although he has supported Democratic politicians like former Gov. Gray Davis of California, he has been described as a social liberal who often gives support to Republican politicians, according to the Atlantic.

In 2012, he famously spoke to an empty chair at the Republican National Convention; the chair was supposed to be a symbol for President Barack Obama.

The speech was mostly ad-libbed and rambling at times, which inspired a great deal of jokes that weren’t too kind to the Hollywood icon. And in the Esquire interview, Eastwood said he regretted making the satirical speech.

“It was silly at the time, but I was standing backstage and I’m hearing everybody say the same thing: ‘Oh, this guy’s a great guy.’ Great, he’s a great guy. I’ve got to say something more,” Eastwoood explained. “And so I’m listening to an old Neil Diamond thing, and he’s going, ‘And no one heard at all / Not even the chair.’ And I’m thinking, ‘That’s Obama. He doesn’t go to work. He doesn’t go down to Congress and make a deal. What the hell’s he doing sitting in the White House?’”

Sources: Esquire, The Atlantic / Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons