Nick Offerman has called out “dumb people” who insist Ron Swanson — the iconic libertarian official he played on the show “Parks and Recreation” — would’ve voted for President Donald Trump.
Offerman, in an interview with IndieWire, addressed those who hold up Swanson for the “wrong reasons” and “take their own reading of this true Libertarian who was cool with everybody.”
The actor and comedian turned to comments from “Parks and Recreation” co-creator Mike Schur, who put together the Swanson character.
“He said, ‘Swanson would’ve despised Trump, because Ron loved capitalism. And Trump made the stupidest move you could make as a capitalist, which is to go into public service,’” Offerman revealed.
The actor continued, “He would think he’s an absolute idiot. He would also despise him because he’s disrespectful to women and many others. And that’s just an example of all the people and value sets that Ron would despise, because Ron is a good person.”
Offerman, who has described himself as both a “progressive” and a “conservative in many ways,” once mocked Trump as well as Hillary Clinton in 2016. He’d go on to back then-Vice President Kamala Harris in last year’s election by parodying MAGA supporter Lee Greenwood’s song “God Bless the USA.”
The actor, when asked how he ties his own beliefs to the roles he chooses, said he attempts to enter conversations with “fallibility.”
“There are groups of people who are being bombed, and we’re sending people money and bombs so that they can kill other people’s children. I want to side with the children,” he said. “I approach every issue with that sensibility.”
He proceeded to point to Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s contentious White House meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance earlier this year, arguing that the Ukrainian president “unmanned” the two.
“He made them look like simpering schoolboys, just by exhibiting the values that we Americans purport to espouse. All he did was behave with character and allow them to completely humiliate themselves on such a public stage,” Offerman said.
He added that by working on his new action crime thriller film “Sovereign,” he’s able to see the value in “trying to examine the humanity” of those people, including the “shitty” ones running our country.
“I invite people to look at them and say, ‘Do you really think they are interested in taking care of you, and the good of our communities? Is that really what Elon is after?’” he said.