American filmmaker Sean Penn stated that American President Donald Trump, caught in his pride, would be „capable of killing his wife if she leaves him.”
Sean Penn was invited on May 1 to journalist Jim Acosta’s podcast, a former anchor at the emblematic CNN channel who left the network after Donald Trump took the oath for his second term, to discuss his new film „Words of War,” which he produced.
The film was inspired by the assassination of journalist and activist Anna Politkovskaya, who tried to expose corruption in Russia under Vladimir Putin. It is no wonder that the exchange of remarks between Sean Penn and Jim Acosta addressed numerous political topics, and the director did not hesitate to criticize current American politics, as reported by Le Figaro.
Trump would be able to destroy the world before he dies
Asked about the American president's statement at the end of March that he wants to run for a third term as president, which is prohibited by the US Constitution, Sean Penn warned Americans that, unfortunately, we should expect the worst scenarios. According to the filmmaker, Donald Trump could even "destroy the world before he dies."
Since then, the American president has backtracked, announcing yesterday that he no longer wishes to run for a third term, stating that he wants to spend "four very good years and make room for someone else."
The protagonist of "Mystic River" continued his harsh attack, comparing the billionaire to a criminal. Using a psychoanalytic metaphor, he stated: "I think it is a reasonable theory to believe that Donald Trump is like a husband who is frustrated because his wife has just left him, perhaps for another man. And then he kills her because his ego cannot bear the thought of losing her. A manifestation of his lust for power."
For now, Donald Trump has not responded to the attacks. However, reactions on social media have not been delayed. Several internet users drew parallels between Sean Penn's diatribe and his alleged violent attitude towards Madonna, who was his partner. "Didn't he beat his wife, Madonna?" "Sean Penn finally confesses to some of his crimes." This rumor dates back to 1987.
Sean Penn, a staunch critic of Trump
This is not the first time Sean Penn has attacked Donald Trump. At the Cannes Film Festival in 2021, the actor denounced how the American president handled the coronavirus epidemic. "In our country, but also worldwide, we have been disappointed, neglected, misinformed. It was an affront to truth and reason during what was clearly an obscene, human, and political mismanagement."
More recently, the actor was outraged that Sebastian Stan, who portrays Donald Trump in the biographical film "The Apprentice," could not participate in the iconic "Actors On Actors" show organized by Variety in October because none of his fellow selected actors for the show wanted to talk about the president and his policies. "It's amazing how scared our industry is of so-called foolish artists from a great film and this magnificent acting performance. It's unbelievable that our industry can be afraid of a small Republican congressman," he said.
However, there are some actors who have regularly spoken out against American policies under Trump since his return to the White House. George Clooney, for example, says: "The government likes to fine or use corporations to bring down journalists and scare them," referring to the decline of freedom of expression in the United States. Just last week, the president ordered the cessation of "taxpayer-funded subsidies" for "partisan media," as "public funding of the media is not only outdated and useless but also harmful to the image of journalistic independence."
"Our democracy is burning. We are led by a bunch of very incompetent billionaires," reacted singer Joan Baez after Donald Trump returned to power.
Similarly, Pedro Almodóvar hesitated to participate in the 50th "Chaplin" Awards ceremony in New York because he did not want to "come to a country led by a narcissistic authority who does not respect human rights." The director accused the current President of the United States of trying to hide "the reality we see with our own eyes (...) Migrants are not criminals. Russia was the one who invaded Ukraine."