Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized actor Matthew McConaughey this week after he posted a video urging Americans to reconsider voting for independent candidates, arguing the actor’s message could undercut Democratic efforts to counter President Donald Trump in the midterm elections.
McConaughey posted the video to Instagram on Sunday, pushing back on the idea that a vote for an independent is automatically a wasted one. “They’ve been telling us for years that an independent vote is a wasted vote,” he said. “Well, a great question for our times is has that unwasted vote been working out for you?” He argued that even a small number of independent lawmakers could meaningfully shift the balance of power in Washington.
The video surfaced Wednesday on “High Stakes,” the podcast Clinton co-hosts with journalist Kara Swisher. Swisher played the clip and said she didn’t think McConaughey had made the case for independent candidates very persuasively.
Clinton went further, calling the timing and reach of the message troubling given the stakes of the midterms.
“I think it’s really unfortunate that somebody who’s such a great actor with such a reach would be two weeks before a midterm that is aimed at stopping Trump’s corruption, impunity and extreme damage to the country would suggest that any independent candidate is really a better choice,” Clinton said.
She argued that the current field of Democratic candidates reflects a broad cross-section of the country and framed the election as a binary choice between parties rather than an opening for independents.
“Right now, we have a broad range of Democrats running, and Democrats are representing, I think, every kind of American in these elections,” Clinton said. “And we know, I mean, it’s just a fact. We know that if we don’t vote for Democrats to defeat Republicans, then Trump will have two more unchecked years to do whatever he wants to our country.”
Fox News Digital reached out to a representative for McConaughey for comment but had not received a response as of publication.
Clinton’s broader midterm push
The comments come as both Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have ramped up involvement in the midterm campaign. Bill Clinton has made public appearances supporting Democratic candidates, while Hillary Clinton has taken to podcasts, including her recurring appearances with Swisher, to make the case against Trump and the GOP.
Not everyone in Democratic circles is convinced the strategy will move the needle. Democratic strategist Mally Smith told Fox News Digital last week that the Clintons’ influence is likely limited to voters who are already highly engaged.
“Hillary and Bill are still relevant to some voters. However, they will mostly be useful in speaking to the Democratic base and those who are highly engaged in politics,” Smith said. “It is a hard media environment to break through, and even current elected officials, let alone former office holders, will struggle to get people’s attention.”
The exchange underscores a broader debate ahead of the midterms over whether voters frustrated with both major parties should look toward independent candidates, or whether doing so risks diluting opposition to the sitting administration.
