Matthew McConaughey calls for moderation among ‘illiberal’ extremes

Published December 15, 2020 10:22pm ET



Actor Matthew McConaughey says there is far too much friction among the “illiberal” extremes of both political parties in the United States.

During an interview with Good Morning Britain on Tuesday morning, McConaughey called for a return to centrism in U.S. politics, directing his frustration at “illiberals” who he accused of fanning a bitter partisan theater during President Trump’s tenure in the White House.

“You need liberals. What I don’t think we need is the illiberals,” McConaughey said. “What I don’t think that some liberals see is that they’re often being cannibalized by the illiberals.”

McConaughey chided extremes on “both sides,” which he argued are not “the right place to be” amid a year of tumult in the U.S. and abroad.

“The extreme Left and the extreme Right completely illegitimize the other side, the liberal and the conservative side, which we need in certain places,” McConaughey said. “The two extremes illegitimize those two sides. Or, they exaggerate that side’s stance into an irrational state that makes no sense, and that’s not fair when either side does that.”

The comments come over a month after the actor ripped the movie industry for what he called an anti-Christian bias that has led actors to hide their faith in fear of losing future opportunities.