Martin Sheen Reveals How He Really Feels About Donald Trump
The Sheens make up one politically outspoken Hollywood family. Emilio Estevez, a self-described "draft registration resister," per a 1985 The Washington Post interview, told the outlet, "My politics are sympathetic to the left, definitely." Brother Charlie Sheen — he of the Tiger Blood — revealed he was "a constitutional Republican" in 2015, but he has also been a vocal opponent of former president Donald Trump. After Trump's election win against Hillary Clinton in 2016, Charlie tweeted Republican Senator Ted Cruz, "C'mon, @tedcruz, in 4 years we can unseat this guy!! You bring the AWESOME, I'll bring the WINNING!!" (Cruz never responded.) Charlie also landed in some hot water for tweeting "Dear God; Trump next, please!" following Debbie Reynolds' death in December 2016 (in a year in which daughter Carrie Fisher died as well).
Martin Sheen, Charlie and Emilio's father who played fictitious President Josiah Bartlet on "The West Wing," is likewise a lifelong political liberal, stumping for Clinton alongside his erstwhile costars during her 2016 presidential run, per Deadline. Moreover, he shut down fellow Hollywood liberals in a 2011 interview on "The View" (per The Hollywood Reporter) who criticized 44th president Barack Obama for his role in the economic slump. "Had they ... focused on the real problem?" Martin retorted to host Joy Behar, praising Obama as "the smartest guy."
Does he share Charlie's views on Trump? Forbes' Jeff Conway found out in a June 3 interview. Here's what Martin had to say about no. 45.
Martin Sheen calls out "bum" Donald Trump
A self-ascribed "life-long Democrat," Hollywood icon and political activist Martin Sheen left it all on the floor when fielding a question from journalist Jeff Conway on the current political climate. In an audio clip posted to Conway's Twitter, Sheen proclaimed that former president Donald Trump "has led the country in such a desperate way of selfishness and lies," adding that the country has seemingly lost its way under Trump's guidance. "We've forgotten ... that we serve ourselves best when we serve others first," Sheen said. "I think we've got that reversed. We have lacked leadership until very recently." Calling the worst part that "so many good people have followed this bad man," Sheen qualified that there were past Republican presidents he has respected. Unlike Trump, examples like Dwight Eisenhower didn't display "a sense of selfishness or power or dishonesty," Sheen opined. (Indeed, Sheen has praised Eisenhower before in a 2020 USA Today interview, calling him "a servant, a patriot, a fair-minded and decent man.")
Those familiar with Sheen's politics are too well-versed in the actor's distaste for Trump, with Sheen labeling the latter "an empty-headed moron" to The Hollywood Reporter in 2016. "He deserves a lot of pity," he concluded to Conway, imploring the country in 2021 to "call this bum out ... to stand up ... and say it's all a lie and show some respect and love for the country." What else is there to say after that?