Donald Trump finally has a liberal A-lister who wants to work with him, even if the celebrity is not wholly supportive of the new president’s policy agenda.
Jennifer Garner is taking on Capitol Hill as part of her efforts supporting children’s issues in underserved parts of the country. The actress, who grew up in Charleston, West Virginia, is working to bring awareness to the plight of rural communities.
The Washington Post, calling Garner an “unlikely ally” of Trump, reports: “She spent Friday on Capitol Hill meeting dozens of top staff members. On Saturday, she delivered the keynote address before the annual National Governors Association winter meeting here. A potential sit-down with Ivanka Trump… fell apart because of scheduling conflicts, but Garner remained optimistic about a face-to-face discussion soon.”
The 44-year-old mother of three is an outspoken advocate for early childhood education as the ticket out of poverty and toward lifelong well being. Her outreach to a Republican administration is unprecedented; she has been an active supporter of Democratic candidates since at least 2008. Garner and then-husband Ben Affleck hosted a fundraiser for Barack Obama’s first campaign. She also gave a speech on his behalf at another fundraiser.
This election cycle, Garner supported Hillary Clinton. She spoke to college students in Reno, Nevada about the importance of registering to vote (and why to vote for Clinton).
Garner obviously did not get the electoral outcome she was hoping for. But she’s not giving up her activism, and with a strategic reason: Trump’s tidal wave of support from low-income rural communities is, in Garner’s eyes, an opportunity. His is a Republican administration, sure, but it’s still a Republican administration that shares her goal of bringing educational opportunity to those most in need.
Trump has been either railed against or ignored by nearly everyone in Hollywood, save for Scott Baio and Dog the Bounty Hunter. Garner is breaking the mold. She sees past partisanship and has her sights set on a potential partnership: “Send me a ticket to Mar-a-Lago. I’m ready to go down and have a steak and a good chat.”
There has been no word yet on whether or not Garner would enjoy that steak cooked well done with ketchup, the way President Trump likes his prepared. Yet in this political climate, merely having a liberal celebrity who is willing to sit down at the table feels like a victory in itself.
