Actor Matthew McConaughey once again hinted at a possible political run while on stage at the National Governor’s Association summer meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, Friday.
Like others in Hollywood, he gave his two cents about the upcoming 2024 presidential race.
“We seem to be in a bad situation right now,” McConaughey remarked.
He noted that the “extremes seem to be going further left and further right” and “decency doesn’t seem to be on the table.”
Matthew McConaughey teases possible run for office at governors meeting, weighs in on 2024 presidential race
McConaughey jokes of drinking tequila with governors, confirms thoughts of potential political run while continuing ‘learning tour’ pic.twitter.com/oXLqYcDYPQ
— Steve Gruber (@stevegrubershow) July 13, 2024
“I understand it’s hard to market and sell success in how people negotiate, because it’s not as fun, it’s not as sexy, it’s not as exciting as the car wreck,” the “Interstellar” star asserted. “We’re a nation of rubberneckers.”
He said that the infighting between lawmakers on ether side of the aisle is viewed as a spectacle and is detrimental to the nation.
“The extremes on the right and left, they have the microphone. It’s more entertaining,” he commented on the far side of each party.
“We come to the table, we argue, we call each other names, and America sees a lot of us when we do that — This is entertainment,” McConaughey pointed out.
“I’m in the entertainment business. Our leadership and our leaders don’t need to be in the entertainment business.”
“Our leadership and especially in government do not need to look like an episode of ‘Real Housewives,’” he added.
On stage with the actor at the event was Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, along with Democrats Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.
Murphy asked the “Magic Mike” star if running for office, which he had contemplated previously, was still on his “dance card.”
“Yes. I have thought about running for office, getting into this category,” McConaughey replied. “I’m on a learning tour and have been for probably the last six years of understanding what this category means.”
“Do I have instincts, intellect that it would be a good fit for me and I would be a good fit for it. That would be useful. I’m still on that learning tour, and, you know, days like this. I’m learning a lot,” he explained.
The Texas native considered running for governor in his home state prior to the last election cycle, and at one point even polled 12 points higher then Texas’ Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
The speculation about the actor entering the gubernatorial race was put to rest in April 2022, when he announced that running for the state’s highest office was an “inspiring and humbling path to ponder,” but “a path that I’m choosing not to take at this moment,” in a social media video.
That Fall, McConaughey said he would “absolutely” consider a future run for the Oval Office, and noted that he would “be arrogant not to.”
— Matthew McConaughey (@McConaughey) November 29, 2021
He has since been advocating for gun control in the wake of the elementary school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, his hometown.
During an address from the White House, he urged Congress to pass legislation to tighten background checks on gun purchases and raise the minimum age to purchase an automatic rifles from 19 to 21.
At the Governor’s Association, Gov. Green coaxed McConaughey to get into politics, but not to be swayed by the political party’s clamoring for him to declare an affiliation.
“Please don’t fall into the trap to think that you have to be just one thing, because I think you’re so, you know, warm and likable,” Green warmed.
“A lot of Republicans who want you to be Republican, a lot of Democrats who want you to be a Democrat, just be you, because that might be something special for all of us.”
McConaughey derided politicians for failing to get into “real competition” by debating anymore, and are leaning on social media to spread their messaging.
He said lawmakers need to become “better marketers” and be able to convincingly sell “hope and belief” to the country.
“If I invalidate your position off the bat, that’s a lack of courage on my part. Right out of the gate, that’s not real confrontation,” he noted about “party preservation” tactics.
“I want to hear more vision from our leaders rather than just, ‘I want to do the opposite of what they want to do.’ Well, no,” McConaughey continued.
“How do you see the way forward? Instead of just saying, ‘no, all I know is I don’t want to do it that way or that’s the wrong way.’ We see it right now – It’s with two presidential candidates.”
He pointed out that said that “the train wreck is front page bold print,” and “fear” is “easier to sell than hope,” as well as a much “more measurable” metric.
“How can you sell belief, which I think is what we really need more of in our country right now is belief,” he asked.
“Whether it’s literal belief in the prime mover or God, or whether it’s belief more in ourselves and our neighbors in what America can be, we need more belief.”
“I mean, you’ve hit on so many important themes,” Cox lauded the actor.
“I’m just trying to imagine a presidential candidate like this, talking about belief in something bigger than ourselves, in each other, in our neighbors, laying out a positive vision for the country… We just don’t see that anymore because fear does sell,” the Republican lawmaker noted.