Staff
The actor made the comments on stage while accepting an honorary lifetime achievement award at the Spanish Academy Goya Awards on Saturday.
If the rest of the world has been wondering what some Americans are thinking of Donald Trump’s new administration, Richard Gere gave one very strong perspective while in Spain.
The actor was in the European nation to accept an honorary lifetime achievement award at the Spanish Academy Goya Awards on Saturday night, and while he was on stage, he did not hold back.
After talking a bit about his career and the craft of acting, Gere shifted to the political state of America amid Donald Trump’s flurry of executive orders in his first few weeks in office, creating a sense of chaos and turmoil that’s been blowing up across media and social media alike, as well as the general state of the nation.
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He told the audience that when he looks at America, he sees “this very foolish tribalism is starting to take over, where we think we’re all separate from each other,” as covered by Variety.
“We have, unfortunately, elected officials that don’t inspire us in the way we want to be inspired,” he continued, referring to the GOP dominance in both the executive and legislative branches.
He went on, targeting Donald Trump directly, adding, “We are in a very dark place in America where we have a bully and a thug who is the president of the United States.” At this point, Variety noted the actor paused as the Spanish audience applauded loudly.
“But it’s not just in the U.S., it’s everywhere,” Gere continued in a warning to the rest of the world. “We have to be vigilant.”
The “dark place in America” is a sentiment that’s clearly been on Gere’s mind, as he alluded to a similar thought process when speaking on Friday at a press conference ahead of the award show.
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“America is experiencing a dark time, and the time has come for people to stand up,” he said at the presser. “We must be vigilant about this dark marriage of money and power.”
“It is irresponsible and corrosive that there are millionaires in charge of the United States,” he added, arguing that it’s “a danger to the whole planet.”
Speaking of the tech billionaires who attended Trump’s inauguration and continue to work closely with his administration, Gere said, “The millionaire clowns surrounding Trump are immature and narcissistic, a deadly mix.”
Gere was speaking out against the current state of affairs in America as someone who has been living in Spain since shortly after the election. His wife, Alejandra Silva is a native of Spain and a U.S. citizen; she cast her first vote in the most recently election.
Shortly thereafter, after spending many years in America to support Gere’s career, the couple decided to move to Spain so that Silva could be closer to her family and friends.
As for the lifetime honor at the Goya Awards, Gere joked that he felt it might be a bit early to honor his career and lifetime, calling it “a little premature,” but “a wonderful encouragement.”
“I have a lot more I expect to do,” he told the audience.
