Landman Star Billy Bob Thornton's Political Views, Explained

Billy Bob Thornton has strong political views, though he prefers not to talk about them publicly. However, he has offered a few clues over the years that give us a pretty decent picture of his politics. In November 2025, the "Landman" star shared that he dislikes either extreme of the political spectrum. "I call myself a radical moderate," he said on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast. "I'm very strong in my opinions, but my opinions don't belong to any political party."

That's sort of a non-answer, but it isn't the first time Thornton has described himself as a radical moderate. In 2021, he used the same term while emphasizing his distaste for political extremism. He also revealed that his views shifted to the center over time. "I was a hippie in my youth, a liberal. But when you sit back and look at what's going on in the world, the reality is that there are just as many unbearable people on the liberal left as there are on the ultra-right," he told Metro Philadelphia.

In his conversation with Rogan, whose feelings about Donald Trump have flip-flopped over the years, Thornton was less interested in sharing particulars of his positions. But in the Metro Philadelphia interview, he was willing to be more specific about his take on the controversial president. "I think we talk a lot about politics and get angry because Trump's presidency was so frustrating," he said. All in all, Thornton seems to have gone from a typical liberal celebrity to adopting more centrist views. 

One of the reasons Billy Bob Thornton avoids discussing his political views is that he feels unqualified to do so. "Unless you have really studied stuff and really know about a subject fully, who the hell would want to listen to an actor or a musician talk about politics?" he said on "The Joe Rogan Experience." In his opinion, a celebrity's political views serve no real purpose. "Are we supposed to follow this?"

Thornton also seems to avoid sharing much about his political views for self-preservation. He seemingly prefers to keep his public persona tied to his characters so as not to close any doors. And it seems to have worked. While we may not hear much about Thornton these days, he continues to find meaningful work, as "Landman" attests. In January 2026, he shared that he believes politics might affect careers in the entertainment industry.

Thornton considered "Landman" creator Taylor Sheridan's lack of recognition at awards shows a good example. "I think a lot of it's political. I really do. I think some people assume Taylor is some sort of right-wing guy or something, and he's really not," he told Variety. In the same vein, he urged viewers to separate politics from "Landman," arguing that politicizing the show takes away its depth. "I think people should watch it with no agenda, because we used to watch things with no agenda," he told PA in 2024 (via The Standard).