Oscar-winning filmmaker Mel Gibson has a history of making antisemitic and racist comments,
but the "Lethal Weapon" star has avoided endorsing any specific presidential candidate.
In an interview about the 2016 presidential race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton,
Gibson didn't appear to be a fan of either candidate, saying,
"The good news about this presidential campaign is that it will soon be over, of course, and
the bad news is that one of the bad candidates will be elected."
However, some of Gibson's less-than politically correct statements have earned him comparisons
to Trump.
Gibson famously made anti-semitic comments in 2006 after his arrest for a DUI.
However, Gibson's habit of making offensive comments was hardly isolated.
Winona Ryder accused Gibson of making antisemitic and homophobic comments as far back as the
1990s.
She told the Sunday Times about her experiences with Gibson, claiming,
"We were at a crowded party with one of my good friends, and Mel Gibson was smoking a
cigar, and we're all talking and he said to my friend, who's gay, 'Oh wait, am I gonna
get AIDS?'"
Ryder also said that he made antisemitic comments to her directly.
So what's the truth about Gibson and Trump?
One recent viral video gives us a clue.
Gibson gave Trump a military-style salute when the former president arrived at the UFC
fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirer in Las Vegas on July 10.
A TikTok video of Gibson's salute to Trump spread online and quickly made headlines.
The crowd at the UFC fight welcomed the former president with both loud cheers and boos as
he arrived.
But Gibson's salute to Trump created a social media backlash about the actor's political
views.
In a 2020 interview with Fox News, Gibson told the conservative news outlet that he
wasn't an expert and didn't think he was qualified to make political judgments.
But the actor revealed a little about his political leanings during the Fox News interview,
saying,
"I am politically incorrect, that's true.
Political correctness to me is just intellectual terrorism.
I find that really scary, and I won't be intimidated into changing my mind.
Everyone isn't going to love you all the time."
So even if Gibson doesn't want to label his politics, his salute of Trump makes it seems
like he shares at least some of Trump's views.
Aside from that, the two men have certain other qualities in common.
Despite his tumultuous past, Gibson has somehow managed to stay afloat in Hollywood.
After his disastrous 2006 arrest, during which he spewed a series of antisemitic slurs and
theories, most people thought that the "Passion of the Christ" director wouldn't find work
again anytime soon.
Clearly, they were wrong.
Gibson has continued to find work even while being on the outs.
In 2017 he was nominated for an Oscar for directing "Hacksaw Ridge" which was also nominated
for best picture.
"You're like gum on a shoe, ain't ya?"
By 2019, he was also in the process of selling two films at the Cannes Film Festival.
Similarly, critics and industry experts have been quick to point out how miraculous Gibson's
comeback was, including Netflix recasting Gibson in the "Chicken Run" sequel.
It turns out that a skill for reinvention, or at least avoiding consequences, is something
Gibson has in common with former President Donald Trump.
It might even be one of the things Gibson admires enough in the former president to
stand and salute at an UFC fight.
Trump, of course, is the only president to have been impeached twice.
Most in his situation would typically exit politics and focus on building their presidential
library, writing a memoir, and booking high paying speaking engagements, but that's not
the case with Trump.
After a tumultuous 2020 election, which ultimately saw the sitting president defeated, Trump
left office in January 2021 without attending his successor's inauguration.
Shortly thereafter, he was permanently banned from Facebook and Twitter.
"Have a good life.
We'll see you soon."
By June, though, he reappeared on the national stage, speaking at the North Carolina Republican
Party's state convention.
He also reportedly plans to speak at a number of other state republican conventions in rallies
in the lead-up to the 2022 midterms.
According to political insiders, Trump isn't engaging with the base out of any solidarity
with the cause, but rather because if it all goes well, he will be perfectly positioned
for a 2024 presidential comeback.
Mel Gibson isn't big on talking politics, but if Trump does run again in 2024, it seems
we've got a pretty good clue who he'd vote for.
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