Robert Davi, an actor from iconic films like "Die Hard," "The Goonies," and "License to Kill," said that watching President-elect Donald Trump’s fight for his political future was a Hollywood-worthy story.
Last week, Trump’s victory in both the electoral college and the popular vote sent shockwaves among elites in the media and entertainment indsutry, many of whom had explicitly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. Some of them, particularly talk show hosts like Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Stewart, were openly emotional as they addressed their audiences about Harris’ loss.
Fox News host Brian Kilmeade asked Davi what he imagines will change after Trump's victory, when so many of the world’s most popular celebrities had endorsed a now-unsuccessful candidate.
"What changes after their futile effort?" he said.
Davi specified that while there are some exceptions, the dominant culture in Hollywood and the entertainment industry condemned Trump and the people who support him.
"Who knows what changes? Because as you saw from the Jimmy Kimmel clip and the others, there seems to be an absolute disconnect - I’ve said this before to you - in Hollywood, and there continues to be a disconnect," Davi said. "Even when the proof is shown to them and I can tell you this, prior to the election, I was getting a lot of messages from friends of mine in the Hollywood community saying, you know, ‘Fascist, how can you vote for this fascist?’ This, that, all the other stuff. And then, I have to say, some afterwards, when he won that night, said ‘Congratulations, he won fair and square,’ that was from some."
He then argued that the powers that be in the media are ultimately at fault.
"You can’t change that culture because the media - as you know better than anyone, and many of the people out there - the media has lied to us about Donald Trump since the inception of 2015 when he first stepped into the ring, and that has stuck for some reason."
By contrast, the film actor noted how being at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate was the culmination of what felt like the 1976 rags-to-riches boxing epic "Rocky."
"I was at Mar-a-Lago that evening - Tuesday evening, and it was emotional. Brian. It was like watching - when I first saw the ‘Rocky’ film in the 70s. The ups and downs, the anticipation, and the elation, and then feeling of relief and tears, you tear up, people tear up. Intelligent people, successful people applauding and cheering, and it was that kind of vibe."
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He then argued that a law from Ancient Rome might be needed to rein in the media that had polarized so much of America with lies about Trump.
"I don’t understand why we can’t have a thing like the calumnia clause back in, from Ancient Rome," he said, arguing that when a network deliberately lies about Donald Trump breaking a law, it would then be forced to endure the penalty instead.
He went on to note that false media narratives have "stuck in Hollywood" to the point "it’s absurd."
Many "around the world" have been sending him celebratory texts about Trump winning, from Scandinavia to the Balkans and the Baltics.
"I don’t know how we fix this Hollywood thing," Davi said. "It starts with the media, it starts with holding the lying accountable, and with our government."
Kilmeade responded by contesting that as it is, many Americans deliberately ignored media narratives and supported Trump, among a wide range of regions and identities.
"It has to make them think, ‘Wow, do they have the volume up when I’m speaking?’" he said.
Davi scorched California Gov. Gavin Newsom in particular for failing to correct course earlier, suggesting he is "trying to do things now he should have done four years ago - three years ago, because he’s positioning himself for 2028 or whatever it is."
As Davi signed off, he said, "Thank you and thank the American people for waking up and letting this man, Donald Trump, and the team he’s put together. I mean this was historic, Brian, as we all know, this was the most historic moment in my lifetime."
