Chris Evans on Donald Trump’s presidency: ‘I feel rage. I feel fury.’
Captain America is getting political again. Having made headlines for digitally sparring with former KKK leader David Duke, Chris Evans opened up about politics and his feelings for the current Donald Trump administration in a new profile published in Esquire.
“I feel rage. I feel fury,” Evans, who had called the election results “an embarrassing night for America,” told the magazine. “It’s unbelievable. People were just so desperate to hear someone say that someone is to blame. They were just so happy to hear that someone was angry. Hear someone say that Washington sucks. They just want something new without actually understanding. I mean, guys like Steve Bannon — Steve Bannon! — this man has no place in politics.”
The “rage” and “fury” were felt in the heat of a Twitter back-and-forth with Duke, who wrote (and then deleted), “Why does Chris Evans, who plays the Jewish inspired super hero, Captain America, hate the women of his people so much? #WhiteGenocide.”
“I don’t hate them. That’s YOUR method,” Evans responded at the time. “I love. Try it. It’s stronger than hate. It unites us. I promise it’s in you under the anger and fear.”
I don't hate them. That's YOUR method. I love. Try it. It's stronger than hate. It unites us. I promise it's in you under the anger and fear https://t.co/RGnH4rrblq
— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) February 13, 2017
The Marvel star further called out Duke over the appointment of Jeff Sessions as attorney general. “If David Duke….DAVID!…DUKE!… thinks you’re right, then you are unequivocally wrong,” he tweeted in February.
If David Duke….DAVID!…DUKE!… thinks you're right, then you are unequivocally wrong. The confirmation of @jeffsessions is beyond words. https://t.co/CuLUznwO6S
— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) February 9, 2017
According to Esquire, Evans was advised over his politically charged statements, but he’s not worried about potential backlash. “Look, I’m in a business where you’ve got to sell tickets. But, my God, I would not be able to look at myself in the mirror if I felt strongly about something and didn’t speak up,” he said. “I think it’s about how you speak up. We’re allowed to disagree. If I state my case and people don’t want to go see my movies as a result, I’m okay with that.”
“Some people say, ‘Don’t you see what’s happening? It’s time to yell,'” he added. “Yeah, I see it, and it’s time for calm. Because not everyone who voted for Trump is going to be some horrible bigot. There are a lot of people in that middle; those are the people you can’t lose your credibility with. If you’re trying to change minds, by spewing too much rhetoric you can easily become white noise.”
