Does Tom Selleck Support Donald Trump?

Tom Selleck, best known for his roles in iconic shows like "Magnum, P.I.," "Friends," and "Blue Bloods," has always been vocal about his political views, donating money to both Republican and Democrat candidates over the years, as he told the Chicago Tribune. However, despite his political transparency, Selleck keeps trending on social media as a staunch Donald Trump supporter. Starting in 2018, various online platforms have published a number of pro-Trump quotes Selleck supposedly said in an interview, but it never happened. Even though the story proved to be fake, every now and then, someone uncovers it again, cementing Selleck as a Trumpist for those who don't bother to investigate further.

While Selleck may not be exactly on board with Trump's plans for the U.S., the actor enjoys discussing politics. When promoting his 2000 movie, "Running Mates," where he plays a Democratic Party candidate running for president, Selleck shared: "I'm interested in politics. I find it fascinating," as per Deseret News. Still, the star doesn't see himself as a person who should run for any type of office, noting: "I'm already a public figure. I know what that's like. Why would I turn it up a couple of notches, because that's what we do to our candidates?"

In 2004, Selleck took on another political role on screen, portraying General Dwight D. Eisenhower in the historical war drama "Ike: Countdown to D-Day." Despite his on-screen political involvement, he never praised the former President of the United States in real life.

In 2018, a pro-Trump blog reported about an alleged interview Tom Selleck did with Breitbart News, in which the actor purportedly praised Donald Trump. The author of the article claimed that Selleck had said: "[Trump's] an answer to our problems. We need to get behind him. The Republicans need to unite behind this man." Additionally, Selleck reportedly concluded the conversation by stating, "To all that are criticizing [Trump] for no reason and want him to resign for no reason, just go to hell, all of you!" Other platforms posting similar content ran the story as well, further perpetuating the misleading narrative.

Snippets of the supposed interview continued to resurface on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) years later, gaining significant attention. In 2023, a user named Roger Blood posted one such tweet, amassing nearly 900k views.

However, what shatters the illusion for some Trump enthusiasts is that none of these statements were made by Tom Selleck; rather, it was Jon Voight, Angelina Jolie's father, who publicly supported Trump. In 2016, Breitbart News indeed published a piece titled "Exclusive: Jon Voight Endorses Donald Trump for President," where Voight genuinely praised the controversial politician with words later mistakenly attributed to Selleck. Voight also criticized the prevalence of lies and propaganda, which, ironically, became the basis for Trump supporters creating their own narrative from the very same interview.

Not only has Tom Selleck never endorsed Donald Trump, but the actor openly disclosed he didn't vote for him in the 2016 elections. During an appearance on ABC's "The View," Selleck shared: "I didn't really support either candidate. I had some problems." He explained, "I wrote in my own candidate."

In an interesting turn of events in 2018, Trump took a moment to shade Selleck during an event honoring murder victims killed by undocumented immigrants. Holding up a photo of a murdered man, Trump remarked, "This is Tom Selleck, except better looking." While it's uncertain if the former POTUS harbors any grudges towards Selleck, Trump is known for making catty comments about celebrities, so the distasteful comparison didn't come as a surprise.

Despite not supporting Trump, Selleck previously endorsed other conservatives. In the 2012 presidential election, he reportedly cast his vote for Republican Mitt Romney, according to Just Jared. Additionally, Selleck had a close relationship with the late ex-President Ronald Reagan and was involved in Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign, as per the Reagan Foundation. Despite these associations, Selleck identifies as independent, as he shared with the Chicago Tribune in 2000. The actor's political stance seems to be flexible, aligning with what he believes is best at any given moment. While some may argue this approach could have potential long-term drawbacks in the realm of politics, one thing is clear — Selleck is not a Trump supporter.