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Jeff Bridges: I’m ‘rooting for Trump to do well by our country’
Actor Jeff Bridges said during an interview with The Associated Press published Wednesday that he is ‘rooting’ for President Donald Trump to do well on behalf of the United States. (John Sciulli/Getty Images for CBS Films)

Jeff Bridges: I’m ‘rooting for Trump to do well by our country’

Actor Jeff Bridges, known for his roles in movies like “The Big Lebowski” and “True Grit,” diverged this week from his fellow Hollywood elites, saying he’s “rooting” for President Donald Trump.

“I’m rooting for him to do well by our country,” Bridges, 67, told The Associated Press in an interview published Wednesday. “I’m rooting for him as a human being to do the cool thing.”

The Oscar-winning star made the comment after saying there are people “out there talking about their disappointments and ridiculing the way President Trump is acting.”

Bridges, who endorsed then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election, said that everyone has “something different and unique to contribute to society and with different ways of doing it.”

Bridges’ thoughtful approach is particularly noteworthy given the venomous disdain many of his fellow stars have expressed toward the president in recent weeks.

During an appearance last week at the Glastonbury Festival in the United Kingdom, actor Johnny Depp joked about killing Trump. He asked the audience: “When was the last time an actor assassinated a president?”

Depp later apologized for the jab, saying he “intended no malice” and “was only trying to amuse.”

And in early June, comedian Kathy Griffin published a grotesque picture of herself holding a bloody mask intended to resemble Trump’s severed head. The image was reminiscent of Islamic State executioners who behead journalists on video.

In response to the over-the-top stunt, the Secret Service launched an investigation into Griffin, and CNN cut ties with the comedian, who had been part of the news outlet’s New Year’s Eve celebration since 2007.

Griffin used the negative attention to go after Trump, claiming in a tearful news conference that the president “broke” her because his supporters “mobilized their armies” against her.

The comedian also suggested she was being targeted by the White House because she is a woman.

“What’s happening to me has never happened — ever — in the history of this great country,” she asserted.

As for Bridges, the only complaint he voiced was about the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to federal food assistance programs. He said cutting such funding could have a negative impact on children in need.

In 1983, Bridges founded the End Hunger Network, and in 2010, he became an official ambassador for the “No Kid Hungry” campaign, which is dedicated to working with families struggling to put food on the table.

“The health of our children is a wonderful compass that can tell us if our country is going the right direction,” he told the AP. “That means we’re off course, so I’m rooting for the president to get on course.”

By offering encouraging words for Trump, Bridges stands nearly alone in Hollywood.

Actor Tom Hanks received a lot of attention in mid-November, when just days after Trump won the election, he said he hopes the businessman-turned-politician does so well as president that he votes for his re-election in 2020.

“This is the United States of America. We’ll go on. There’s great like-minded people out there who are Americans first and Republicans or Democrats second,” Hanks said at the time. “I hope the president-elect does such a great job that I vote for his re-election in four years.”

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