Actor Kevin Spacey didn’t mince words when discussing Washington politicians during his Daily Show appearance on Tuesday night, roasting them for being “bad actors” in “performance art.”
The House of Cards star, who plays Congressman Frank Underwood, sat down with host Jon Stewart to discuss the Netflix original series. Spacey explained the show’s relationship with the video streaming website and joked about the destruction of romantic relationships thanks to the Valentine’s Day release of the show’s second season. Spacey put the joking aside, however, when Stewart asked what it felt like to shadow House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) — something the actor did to learn more about Congress — and be that close to the center of power.
“I don’t believe them, I don’t believe what they say, I don’t think they’re being absolutely sincere — I think it’s performance art, and most of them are bad actors,” Spacey said of Washington politicians.
The host asked if the members of Congress were performing for the actor’s benefit, or if they were lying to each other and themselves. Spacey simply raised his index finger with a knowing look, before Stewart pressed him again.
“I think often the delusion is very deep — it runs very deep,” Spacey finally replied.
“They believe in their hearts what they are saying?” Stewart queried.
“Except for the ones that know they’re full of bulls**t,” Spacey responded.
Finally, the host had to ask about the “murdering” on the show and whether or not members of Congress would actually be capable of that. Despite his harsh criticism of Washington, Spacey essentially dodged the question.
“Look, we’ve certainly had politicians accused of such a thing in history,” he said. “There’s no doubt about it. They certainly — back in the day, the Roman days, they were f***ing killing everybody.”
Spacey has been critical of Washington many times during interviews, condemning the 113th Congress for its lack of productivity and telling comedian Stephen Colbert that the House of Cards Congress is obviously fake because it “gets s**t done.”
Watch the full interview below:
