Jennifer Lawrence has stirred debate across the internet with her candid remarks on Donald Trump and the political climate in the United States.
The actress has a history of being outspoken on political matters and was openly critical of Trump during his tenure in the White House starting in 2017.
Recently, Lawrence featured on The New York Times’ The Interview podcast, where she revealed her new approach of steering clear from discussing politics with the media, especially regarding the Trump administration.
Reflecting on Trump’s first term, which she described as ‘wild’, Lawrence explained her hesitance to engage in the current political discourse.
Speaking with host Lulu Garcia-Navarro, she said, “I felt like I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. But as we’ve learned, election after election, celebrities do not make a difference whatsoever on who people vote for.”
She questioned, “So then what am I doing? I’m just sharing my opinion on something that’s going to add fuel to a fire that’s ripping the country apart. We are so divided.”
Lawrence acknowledged, “I think I’m in a complicated recalibration because I’m also an artist. With this temperature and the way things can turn out, I don’t want to start turning people off to films and to art that could change consciousness or change the world because they don’t like my political opinions.”
The Hunger Games actress expressed her intent to ‘protect my craft’, emphasizing her desire to avoid ‘being part of the problem’.
Lawrence elaborated, “I don’t want to make the problem worse… You watch these actors’ faces who have had incredible careers and made incredible contributions and then one half of the internet doesn’t want to see their face anymore.”
“I get so upset for those people and it feels so wrong,” she added.
Lawrence also mentioned, “I try to express my politics through my work. A lot of movies coming out from my production company are expressions of the political landscape and that’s how I feel like I can be helpful.”
Her comments have sparked a mixed response online, with many sharing their thoughts on platforms such as Reddit.
One user shared, “I get what she saying, but I have more respect for celebs who find an organic way to speak up than ones who are like ‘oooh what’s the point, is it the best way to help, we’re already so divided, etc’.”
Another remarked, “Honestly, I get her. At this point I’m exhausted too. Like she said, this time around people knew what they’d be getting.”