In a video message on July 4th, actor Matthew McConaughey, who is reportedly considering running for governor of Texas as a Democrat, said that the United States was “going through puberty” in its current age while stressing unity for the nation.
“Happy Birthday America. Yes indeed, as we celebrate our independence today, as we celebrate our birth as a nation, a day that kick-started our revolution to gain our sovereignty, let’s admit that this last year’s trip around the sun was also another head-scratcher,” McConaughey said, per The Hill.
happy 245th birthday America – lets rock pic.twitter.com/MiLKZ0HN8y
— Matthew McConaughey (@McConaughey) July 4, 2021
“But let’s also remember that we are babies, you know, as a country. We are basically going through puberty in comparison to other countries’ timelines, and we’re going to go through growing pains, we are going through growing pains. This is not an excuse to say this — it’s just a reality,” he added.
He said that this is good because Americans have to keep building, learning, and maturing, adding that Americans have to make sure they “maintain hope along the way as we continue to evolve.”
“Why? ‘Cause it’s who we are. Why? ‘Cause the alternative sucks,” he said.
“I believe that America and you and I — I believe we’re an aspiration, alright? We’re constantly in motion. We’re on the way. Trying to get wiser. Trying to get braver, trying to dream more, trying to do more, trying to be more fair, take the right kind of responsibilities to gain the right kind of freedoms,” McConaughey said.
He said Americans have to keep realizing that “we are a place where our individual pursuits and desires” need to be appreciative and supportive of “our collective responsibilities as Americans,” adding that Americans need to remember that they are “all in this together” even though they have uniqueness. He stressed the “united” in “United States of America,” although he did not go into deep detail about what he meant by Americans’ “collective responsibilities” and “right kind of freedoms.”
“I want to be a little bit better, you want to be a little bit better, let’s be on the way to being the best we can be, let’s make that a song we can’t not sing. Why? Because it’s who we are, it’s who we’ve got to be, and again, the alternative sucks,” he added. “Let’s rock America. Happy Birthday, just keep living. I’ll see you there.”
McConaughey has reportedly discussed a political future in the past, hinting at a potential run for office.
He has been more vocal about volatile topics in the last several months throughout the course of the pandemic, including on issues of mask-wearing and personal freedom, though the actor is reportedly still in favor of gun control.
As reported by The Daily Wire:
Speaking on “The Carlos Watson Show,” McConaughey said that “no data” exists showing the negative effects of masking.
“I’m not believing you’re really scared of this little cotton thing. I’m not believing you really feel that takes away your identity and your freedom,” he said on the show, as reported by The Hill. “This is a short-term inconvenience for long-term freedom.”
“There’s no data that says it’s not a good [thing]. No data that says it’s harmful,” he added. “Let’s all take one for the team here.”
In May, The Daily Wire reported that McConaughey was feeling out a potential political career.
“According to Politico, the Academy Award winner has been ‘quietly making calls to influential people in Texas political circles, including a deep-pocketed moderate Republican and energy CEO, to take their temperature on the race and to talk about seriously throwing his hat in the ring,’” per The Daily Wire.
“Politico noted that Texas political strategists do not see a solid path forward for McConaughey given the business community’s overwhelming support for Governor Greg Abbott and the fact that McConaughey would then be sacrificing his position as a cultural icon to become a political figure,” The Daily Wire reported.
It is also unclear what party he would run under due to the fact that running as a third-party candidate might upset Democrats who are pushing to change the politics of the state.
As The Daily Wire highlighted, “ Long-time Democratic strategist Paul Begala noted that Governor Rick Perry won the state handily in 2006 after two independents split the vote.”
“The problem with running as an independent is we have seen this movie before,” said Begala. “Texas doesn’t need a third party, Matthew! We need a second party.”