Jennifer Lawrence Says Mentioning Donald Trump Would ‘Add Fuel to a Fire’ Dividing the Nation Apart
Lawrence has expressed that she believes it's no longer fitting to comment publicly regarding the Trump administration, fearing it could exacerbate divisive discussions and increase separation within the United States.
‘I Question the Usefulness’, Notes Lawrence
During a discussion, the Oscar winner reflected, “When Trump was first in office, I felt like I was acting frantically like a chicken with my head cut off. But it’s become clear, election after election, Hollywood stars fail to influence whatsoever on voter decisions.”
Lawrence added, “Why continue? I’m just expressing personal views on something that’s going to heighten conflict that’s ripping the nation apart.”
Shifting Views
The actress has spoken candidly about voting for both conservative and liberal contenders in past elections. Raised by Republican parents in Kentucky, she voted for John McCain in 2008 before joining the Democrats and revealing she understood during Obama’s administration that backing conservatives was opposing her individual liberties as a female citizen.
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In 2015, she remarked that a Trump victory could represent “the end of the world” and endorsed the Democratic candidate in the 2020 presidential race. In the latest campaign, she lent her support to the Democratic nominee, “because I think she’s a strong contender and I know that she will make every effort to safeguard reproductive rights.”
Hollywood’s Stance
Lawrence was aligned with most of Hollywood in her disapproval of Trump as a presidential contender, but the lack of leverage celebrities have over the public choices was highlighted by the outcome.
“The second term feels different,” noted she about Trump’s presidency. “Because he said what he was going to do. We understood his record for his first term. He was explicit. And voters made that decision.”
New Release
Lawrence is currently promoting her new film, Lynne Ramsay’s project in which she plays a young mom who deals with her mental health in a remote area. During a press conference for the film in Venice, she commented on the situation in the Middle East: “I’m terrified. It’s horrifying. What’s occurring is equivalent to a humanitarian crisis and it’s horrible.”
Additional Thoughts
She continued by saying that she was disappointed by “the hostility in the discourse of the political landscape right now and how that is going to be normalised to the kids right now. It’s going to be standard to them that elected officials deceive.”
Lawrence attempted to refocus frustration about the issue to policymakers rather than celebrities. “Keep attention on who is responsible,” she advised, which was interpreted as a allusion to the then-recent pledge signed by numerous Hollywood professionals to refuse engagement with specific industry bodies.
Individual Insights
Jennifer Lawrence, who received an Academy Award early in her career for her role in the acclaimed film, is generating Oscar buzz for her performance in the new film. Even though Ramsay has disputed the story being seen as one of post-birth struggles and psychosis, Lawrence said that she did relate to parts of her character’s journey after the delivery of her new baby, soon after shooting ended.
“There was concern regarding my baby,” she commented, “imagining every worst-case scenario, and then questioning everything that I was attempting. I was seeing a therapist, but I started taking a treatment called Zurzuvae and I used it for 14 days and it made a difference.”
Film Challenges
Lawrence also spoke about the empowering aspect of filming without clothes in the film while she was expecting and couldn’t work out.
“There’s a freedom,” she said, of being forced to cast off vanity. “Honestly, I sometimes think where I’m like, How exactly do I differ between me and a prostitute? But it isn’t a major concern.”