Jennifer Lawrence made anti-Trump remarks, saying that she did not want to exacerbate the divisiveness in America that the second Trump administration is sowing.
Jennifer Lawrence addressed the divisiveness of Trump’s second term, contemplating her role in political discourse.(AFP)
During her appearance on The New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast, host Lulu Garcia-Navarro pressed her if Lawrence intended to continue speaking out against Trump following her open letter criticising the status of the nation after the 2024 election.
“I don’t really know if I should. The first Trump administration was so wild and just how can we let this stand? I felt like I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off,” the Hunger Games star said. “I’m just sharing my opinion on something that’s going to add fuel to a fire that’s ripping the country apart.”
Jennifer Lawrence discusses balancing art and politics in Trump’s era
Lawrence later questioned whether condemning the Trump administration would make her films less appealing to audiences. She stated, “I don’t want to start turning people off to films and to art that could change the world because they don’t like my political opinions.”
Stressing that she does not want to “be a part of the problem” and make things “worse”, Lawrence said, “You watch these actors’ faces who have had incredible careers and made incredible contributions and then one half of the internet doesn’t want to see their face anymore. I get so upset for those people and it feels so wrong.”
Jennifer Lawrence using her art to reflect political climate
Despite her lack of desire to criticize Trump, Lawrence is using her work to further her political views.
She further mentioned that her production company produces several films that reflect the political climate, adding that “that’s how I feel like I can be helpful.”
She provided funding for the documentary Zurawski v. Texas on abortion and Bread and Roses, which follows three women in Afghanistan during the Taliban offensive in 2021, through her production firm Excellent Cadaver.
Does Jennifer Lawrence regret speaking out against Trump?
In response to the question of whether she regretted her previous handling of speaking out against Trump, Lawrence joked: “Probably? I regret everything I’ve ever done or said. I’m going to take the zip drives out of all of these cameras when I leave.”
“The second term feels different. Because he said what he was going to do. We knew what he did for four years. He was very clear. And that’s what we chose.”