Dick Van Dyke had a forceful response to Donald Trump’s shocking US presidential victory when he recently left office after endorsing Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
The screen icon, who will turn 99 next month, said he was grateful to “not be around” to live out the next four years when asked about President-elect Trump’s upcoming second term.
The Mary Poppins star, who was seen with his wife Arlene Silver, 52, was asked: “Does the future look bright for America?” to which he replied: ‘I hope you’re right!’
He was then asked, “Do you think Donald Trump is capable of making America great again?”
Van Dyke joked that he would rather die than endure another Trump term, saying, “Thankfully I won’t be around to live all four years.”
Dick Van Dyke had a strong response to Donald Trump’s surprising US presidential victory when he came out this week, after endorsing Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
Trump beat Harris in a surprising political comeback last week (pictured Nov. 6)
Last week, Van Dyke surprised his fans with a rare social media appearance on Monday, just one day before the election.
The acting icon, who recently sparked concerns after he was forced to cancel his first appearance outside of Los Angeles in months, addressed the camera in a black and white clip shared on his Instagram page.
They compared today’s race and political climate to that of 1964 by reading a speech he originally gave at an event with Martin Luther King Jr.
Van Dyke, who will celebrate his 99th birthday on December 13, was still full of vigor and passion as he recited the speech in a strong voice.
Although her speech did not mention either Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump by name, the star of stage and screen made it clear that she supported Harris by tagging her personal account, Harris’ campaign account, and the account official of the vice president. president.
“You may remember that I used to sing, dance and fall – a lot, actually,” Van Dyke introduced himself playfully while wearing a casual polo shirt and sporting his now customary snow-white beard.
“Fifty years ago, on May 31, 1964, I was at the podium with Dr. Martin Luther King, who was addressing some 60,000 people at the Los Angeles Coliseum, and I was there to read a message written by Rod Serling.” , said. , referring to the creator and scribe of Twilight Zone.
The screen icon, who will turn 99 next month, said he was grateful to “not be around” to live out the next four years when asked about President-elect Trump’s upcoming second term.
Recently out and about with his wife Arlene Silver, 52, the Mary Poppins star was asked: “Does the future look bright for America?” to which he replied: ‘I hope you’re right!’
He was then asked, “Do you think Donald Trump is capable of making America great again?” Van Dyke joked that he would rather die than endure another Trump term, saying, “Thankfully I won’t be around to live all four years.”
The actor was surprisingly candid about the election victory.
Last week, Van Dyke made a rare appearance on social media on Monday to lend his endorsement in the 2024 presidential election.
Although his speech did not mention either Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump, Van Dyke made it clear that he supported Harris by tagging their Instagram accounts in his caption.
“I put it out the other day and I think it means just as much today, if not more, than it did then, so if you don’t mind, I’d like to read it,” he continued.
Van Dyke put on a pair of reading glasses as he began reading the speech.
‘Hate is not the norm. Prejudice is not the norm. Suspicions, dislikes, jealousy (and) search for scapegoats…. None of those are the transcendent facets of human personality,’ he began.
‘They are diseases. They are cancers of the soul. “They are the infectious and contagious viruses that have been breeding humanity for years,” he said as he read the words of Serling, known for his liberal politics, which included his support for anti-war politicians and his devotion to the fight against racism. in his personal life as well as in his allegorical scripts for The Twilight Zone and other television series.
‘And because they have been and because they are, is it necessary that they be?’ Van Dyke asked. “I don’t think so.”
He added that as long as there was ‘a voice left to say ‘welcome’ to a stranger’, ‘a hand extended to say ‘come in and share” and ‘a mind to think a thought of warmth and friendship,’ then there was still hope for the collective soul of humanity.
Van Dyke added—through Serling’s words—that the nation was still animated by an “essential decency,” a “basic goodness,” and a “preeminent dignity” that ran through its citizens.
However, the speech also noted that Americans have repeatedly failed to live up to the nation’s highest ideals.
“There will be moments of violence and expressions of hate and an ugly echo of intolerance, but these are the lingering vestiges of a decadent past, not the harbingers of a better, cleaner future,” Van Dyke warned, echoing the language of many anti -Trump figures.
‘To those who tell us that the inequality of the human animal is a necessary evil, we must respond simply by saying that, in the first place, it is an evil, but it is No “It’s necessary,” the Dick Van Dyke Show star said. ‘We proved it, sitting here tonight in 1964. We proved it by reaffirming our faith. We prove it by having faith in our claims.’
Van Dyke concluded by rewriting a quote from abolitionist and U.S. Representative Horace Mann, who died two years before the start of the American Civil War.
“Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity,” he quoted. —I’d like to paraphrase that tonight. “Let us be ashamed to live without that victory.”
After concluding the decades-old speech, Van Dyke noted that “a lot has happened” to improve America since he first opened King’s rally with that speech, but added that there is still much to be done to create a better nation. strong. .
“It’s not what Martin Luther King dreamed of, but it’s a start,” he said, ending on a note of optimism. ‘Thank you and God bless you.’
Most of Van Dyke’s message was contained in his passionate video, but he added “VOTE!!!” in her caption, along with her tags for Harris and her campaign.
Van Dyke’s endorsement was in vain when Trump defeated incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris in the election, in what has been called the “greatest political comeback of all time.”
He becomes the first president in more than 130 years – and only the second in history – to win a second non-consecutive term.
Trump and Kamala Harris went head-to-head for the US presidency, with Trump winning a landslide victory (pictured in September).
Van Dyke will turn 99 in December. He is best known for starring opposite Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins (pictured) and for directing the Dick Van Dyke show of the same name.
His defeat of Harris marks a notable comeback for a twice-impeached president, who left office in 2021 following allegations that he had incited an assault on the U.S. Capitol building and who was convicted earlier this year on multiple charges of business fraud. .
Trump, 78, will also become the oldest president ever inaugurated, surpassing President Joe Biden’s record by five months.
He achieved his remarkable victory on a night reminiscent of 2016, sweeping the key states of North Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
The Associated Press called Wisconsin at 5:34 a.m. ET Wednesday and the race just three minutes later.
