Main article: Political life of Clint Eastwood
With Lou Gossett, Jr. and President Ronald Reagan in July 1987
Eastwood has disapproved of America's wars in Korea (1950–1953), Vietnam (1964–1975), Afghanistan (2001–present), and Iraq (2003–2011), believing that the United States should not be overly militaristic or play the role of global policeman.[337][338][339] He has referred to himself as "...too individualistic to be either right-wing or left-wing,"[340] describing himself in 1974 as "a political nothing" and "a moderate"[335] and in 1997 as a "libertarian."[341] "I don't see myself as conservative," Eastwood has stated, while noting in the same breath that he is not "ultra-leftist," either.[342] At times, he has supported Democrats in California, including Senator Dianne Feinstein in 1994,[343][344][345] liberal United States House of Representatives member Sam Farr in 2002,[346] and Governor Gray Davis, whom he voted for in 1998 and 2002 and hosted pricey fundraisers for in 2002 and 2003.[347]
A self-professed "liberal on civil rights,"[335] Eastwood has stated that he is pro-choice on abortion.[341] He has endorsed same-sex marriage[342][348][349] and contributed to groups supporting the Equal Rights Amendment for women, which failed to receive ratification in 1982.[350]
In 1992, Eastwood acknowledged to writer David Breskin that his political views represented a fusion of Milton Friedman and Noam Chomsky and suggested that they would make for a worthwhile presidential ticket.[351] In 1999, Eastwood stated, "I guess I was a social liberal and fiscal conservative before it became fashionable."[352] Ten years later, in 2009, Eastwood said that he was now a registered Libertarian.[353]
Despite being heavily associated with firearms in his Westerns and cop movies, Eastwood has publicly endorsed gun control since at least 1973. In the April 24, 1973, edition of The Washington Post, the star said, "I'm for gun legislation myself. I don't hunt."[354] Two years later, in 1975, Eastwood told People magazine that he favors "gun control to some degree."[355] About a year later, Eastwood remarked that "All guns should be registered. I don't think legitimate gun owners would mind that kind of legislation. Right now the furor against a gun law is by gun owners who are overreacting. They're worried that all guns are going to be recalled. It's impossible to take guns out of circulation, and that's why firearms should be registered and mail-order delivery of guns halted."[356] In 1993, he noted that he "...was always a backer" of the Brady Bill, with its federally mandated waiting period.[357] In 1995, Eastwood questioned the purpose of assault weapons. Larry King, the television host and newspaper columnist, wrote in the May 22, 1995, edition of USA Today that "my interview with Eastwood will air on 'Larry King Weekend' ... I asked him his thoughts on the NRA and gun control and he said that while people think of him as pro-gun, he has always been in favor of controls. 'Why would anyone need or want an assault weapon?' he said."[358]
Speaking for Take Pride in America in 2005
During the 2008 United States presidential election, Eastwood stated that he would be voting for John McCain,[367] citing the fact that he had known McCain since he returned to the US in 1973 as a recently released POW. Eastwood said of McCain: "I met him years ago when he first came back from Vietnam. This was back when (Ronald) Reagan was the governor of California and he had a big function for all of the prisoners of war who were released. I thought he was a terrific guy, a real American hero." Nevertheless, Eastwood wished Barack Obama well upon his subsequent victory saying, "Obama is my president now and I am going to be wishing him the very best because it is what is best for all of us."[368] Eastwood stated in 2010 of President Obama: "I think he's a nice fella and I enjoyed watching him come along and I enjoyed watching him campaign and win the job. But I'm not a fan of what he's doing at the moment. ... I just don't think he's governing. I don't think he's surrounded himself with the people he could have surrounded himself with."[369]
In August 2010, Eastwood wrote to the then British Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, to protest the decision to close the UK Film Council, warning the closure could result in fewer foreign production companies choosing to work in the UK.[370]
In January 2011, Eastwood told the UK's Daily Mail that "I loved the fact that Obama is multi-racial. I thought that was terrific, as my wife is the same racial make-up. But I felt he was a greenhorn, and it turned out he didn't have experience in decision-making." As for McCain, Eastwood reflected, "I voted for McCain, not because he was a Republican, but because he had been through war (in Vietnam) and I thought he might understand the war in Iraq better than somebody who hadn't. I didn't agree with him on a lot of stuff."[339] On August 3, 2012, he attended a fundraiser for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, suggesting that Romney would boost the country and "restore a decent tax system ... so that there's a fairness and people are not pitted against one another as [to] who's paying taxes and who isn't."[371] During a speech at the 2012 Republican National Convention, Eastwood talked to an empty chair as if President Barack Obama were sitting in it.[372][373][374] The speech was met with a huge response by the media with both praise and criticism. Eastwood, who said he came up with the speech 5 seconds before he gave it, said that if he could do it again he would say something different. "My only message was [that] I wanted people to take the idolizing factor out of every contestant out there. Just look at the work, look at the background, and then make a judgment on that. I was just trying to say that, and did it in kind of a roundabout way which took a lot more time, I suppose, than they would have liked. I'd probably say something else but I'd try to get the same message across so that people don't have to kiss up to politicians. No matter what party they're in, you should evaluate their work and make your judgments accordingly. That's the way to do it in life and every other subject, but sometimes in America we get gaga, we look at the wrong values."[375]
Based on his appearance and comments at the 2012 Republican National Convention, some see him as a right-wing poster boy.[who?][citation needed] However, Eastwood said he has always opposed war and is a pragmatic Libertarian rather than a red-meat Republican. Eastwood further explained his anti-war stance by saying "I was a child growing up during World War II. That was supposed to be the one to end all wars. And four years later, I was standing at the draft board being drafted during the Korean conflict, and then after that there was Vietnam, and it goes on and on forever … I just wonder … does this ever stop? And no, it doesn't. So each time we get in these conflicts, it deserves a lot of thought before we go wading in or wading out. Going in or coming out. It needs a better thought process, I think." Furthermore, Eastwood's 2014 movie American Sniper was met with strong critical praise, especially from many Republicans who called it a pro-War on Terror, pro-Republican, and patriotic film; Eastwood responded by saying that such notions represented a "stupid analysis" and that the movie had nothing to do with political parties.[376] Eastwood responded to critics of American Sniper by saying his film was "the biggest anti-war statement any film can make" and that "the fact of what [war] does to the family and the people who have to go back into civilian life like Chris Kyle did" and "what it (war) does to the people left behind."[377]
In an interview with Esquire that appeared in early August 2016, Eastwood discussed Donald Trump and how this generation, as he put it, is a "pussy generation." "All these people that say, 'Oh, you can't do that, and you can't do this, and you can't say that.' I guess it's just the times." Eastwood also said that while he was not endorsing Donald Trump, he did see where he was coming from at times, even though the filmmaker stated that the candidate has said dumb things. "What Trump is onto is he's just saying what's on his mind. And sometimes it's not so good. And sometimes it's … I mean, I can understand where he's coming from, but I don't always agree with it. I haven't endorsed anybody. I haven't talked to Trump. I haven't talked to anybody. You know, he's a racist now because he's talked about this judge. And yeah, it's a dumb thing to say. I mean, to predicate your opinion on the fact that the guy was born to Mexican parents or something. He's said a lot of dumb things. So have all of them. Both sides. But everybody—the press and everybody's going, 'Oh, well, that's racist," and they're making a big hoodoo out of it. Just fucking get over it. It's a sad time in history.'" Eastwood also said, when asked if he was still a Libertarian, that he was a little bit of everything and that he wants this generation to get to work and be more understanding instead of calling people names. "Kick ass and take names," Eastwood said. When asked which candidate he would prefer between Trump and Hillary Clinton, Eastwood replied, "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. There's been just too much funny business on both sides of the aisle. She's made a lot of dough out of being a politician. I gave up dough to be a politician. I'm sure that Ronald Reagan gave up dough to be a politician.[378]
However, in a subsequent interview with the Los Angeles Times that appeared a month later, Eastwood suggested that he would not necessarily vote for Trump and instead appeared agnostic regarding the 2016 presidential election. The Times' Rebecca Keegan asked, "So when you say you’re not on either side of the aisle, does that mean you’re not voting for Trump?" Eastwood replied, "I’m totally an enigma. I’m just astounded. I hate to pick up the paper. I think both individuals and both parties backing the individuals have a certain degree of insanity."[379]
Eastwood had declared in that interview, "I’m not on either side of the aisle. I think most Americans are going, 'What the ... ? Is this all we can do?' ... When there were 17 people on the stage [in the early GOP debates], I thought, well, there are three or four people up there I could see voting for. They seem pretty good. I had a few …. And then I thought, what the hell happened?"[379]
And in a red carpet interview with Extra on September 8, 2016, when asked about supposedly supporting Trump, Eastwood replied, "You know, I haven't supported anybody, really," and suggested that Trump and Clinton constituted a modern-day Abbott & Costello, referring to the bumbling comedians of the 1940s and early 1950s.[380]
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