SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Actor Matthew McConaughey continued to hint at a possible political run before a roomful of governors on Friday, joking that he’d drank his own brand of tequila with at least one of them the night before and that another had advised him to be himself if he did run.
It’s unclear whether the “Beyond and Confused,” “A Time to Kill” and “True Detective” star will run as a Democrat or Republican, or for what office he’ll run for. McConaughey has been vague about his political affiliations and didn’t reveal his hand at a meeting with the National Governors Association.
“I’ve been on a learning journey for probably the last six years,” McConaughey told New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D), when asked about his plans. “Do I have the intuition and the intelligence that it’s a good fit for me, that I’m cut out for the job? I mean, will I be useful?”
He told Murphy he learned a lot at the governor’s annual summer conference.
“I learned a lot from you last night over tequila,” she teased Murphy, referencing McConaughey’s tequila sharing.
McConaughey was on a panel with Republican Utah Governor Spencer Cox and Democratic Colorado Governor Jared Polis about ways to promote civility in politics.
Cox, the mild-mannered governor of Utah known for his civility, has led a “It’s Better to Dissent” campaign to counter the administration’s harsh rhetoric and combativeness. The project caught the attention of McConaughey, who has been outspoken in his belief that U.S. leaders should be more respectful.
The three discussed how politicians’ desire for attention and clicks online is driving extreme rhetoric, and McConaughey said extreme polarization has also seeped into Hollywood.
“My industry has to be careful of what’s coming from the left, starting the conversation with your opening statement and not dismissing the moderates and conservatives right from the get-go. We’re all guilty of that to some extent,” McConaughey said of actors and directors getting involved in politics.
McConaughey has hinted at the possibility of running for governor of his home state of Texas in 2022. However, he has been vocal about gun control, and after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that year, he called on Congress from the White House to pass legislation to strengthen background checks for gun purchases and raise the minimum age to purchase AR-15 rifles from 18 to 21.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green, a Democrat, has encouraged McConaughey to run for office one day and has even offered him advice.
“Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you should only do one thing,” Greene said. “A lot of Republicans will want you to be a Republican, and a lot of Democrats will want you to be a Democrat. Just be yourself, because that might be something special for all of us.”
