Photo: Carvalho/FilmMagic
The actress’s political leanings made headlines in April 2016, when she took to Twitter to share her “formal endorsement” of then-Republican presidential candidateDonald Trump. She had previously supported DemocratBarack Obama’s presidential bids.
“HELLO BOYS! this is my formal endorsement of @realDonaldTrump & I’m a woman! (last I checked) And Rudy, U R amazing!” Alley wrote, a nod to Trump’s attorney and former New York City MayorRudy Giuliani.
Alley laterreversed her position, writing on Twitter in Oct. 2016: “I hate this election and I’m officially no longer endorsing either candidate.”
Later she flipped her stance again, saying that she checked Trump’s name on the ballot in both the 2016 and 2020 elections.
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“I’m voting for @realDonaldTrump because he’s NOT a politician. I voted for him 4 years ago for this reason and shall vote for him again for this reason. He gets things done quickly and he will turn the economy around quickly. There you have it folks there you have it,” she wrote in Oct. 2020.
Her support of Trump has led to disagreements with other celebrities. In 2019, she sparred withBette Midlerafter the singer and actressshared a photo taken from a Trump campaign rallyand expressed her surprise at seeing so many Black men in attendance.
“Look, there are African American men in this shot! How much did he pay them to be ‘blackground’?” Midler wrote on Twitter, seemingly referencing the president’s pattern ofracist remarksand how that could reflect on 2020 election results.
“This is one of the most racist, degrading ‘jokes’ I’ve seen on Twitter & that’s saying a lot,” Alley wrote in response to the Tweet.
The actress went on to point out that while Midler has her own strong opinions about Trump and those who support him, that doesn’t necessarily line up with reality.
“We get it Bette, you hate Trump & that’s your right but to imply Black men have to be PAID to celebrate their OWN political views is pure and REAL racism. And ‘BLACKGROUND’?? WTF??!!” she added.
As Alley’s reputation grew aligned with Trump’s, she at times appeared to mimic his rhetoric, in 2020 calling the speaker of the House “EVIL NANCY PELOSI” in a tweet. “Don’t believe a word that comes out of this witche’s [sic] mouth..and yes she gives witches a bad name,” she wrote.
Alley’s public support of Trump, she suggested, hurt her career.
“People go, ‘You’re so brave.’ I go, ‘No, I think I’m stupid.’ Because honestly, it is a real blackballing situation,” Alley said in aninterviewwithTucker Carlsonin May 2021.
She continued: “You can be cooking meth and sleeping with hookers, but as long as, apparently, you didn’t vote for Trump… I feel like I’m inThe Twilight Zonea bit, with the whole concept of it.”
On Tuesday the former president paid tribute to the actress again, writing on his social media website Truth Social: “Kirstie was a fantastic person and a big supporter of America First & MAGA. She will be greatly missed!!!”
source: people.com
