Hillary Clinton has called out Matthew McConaughey over his push for independent candidates.
The former secretary of state, 77, directed her criticism at the Oscar winner during a podcast interview Wednesday with journalist Kara Swisher on their new show “High Stakes.” Clinton took aim at a video McConaughey, 55, posted Sunday on Instagram in which he urged voters to reject the idea that backing independents wastes their ballot.
“They’ve been telling us for years that an independent vote is a wasted vote,” McConaughey said in the clip. “Well, a great question for our times is has that unwasted vote been working out for you?”
Swisher had shared the video with Clinton during their recording session, noting that she felt McConaughey failed to articulate a compelling case for independent candidates. Clinton pushed back far more forcefully, framing the actor’s timing as damaging to Democratic efforts to counter President Trump in the approaching midterm elections.
“I think it’s really unfortunate that somebody who’s such a great actor with such a reach would be two weeks before a midterm that is aimed at stopping Trump’s corruption, impunity and extreme damage to the country would suggest that any independent candidate is really a better choice,” Clinton said.
She kept her argument going, tying the stakes directly to party control.
“Right now, we have a broad range of Democrats running, and Democrats are representing, I think, every kind of American in these elections,” she continued. “And we know, I mean, it’s just a fact. We know that if we don’t vote for Democrats to defeat Republicans, then Trump will have two more unchecked years to do whatever he wants to our country.”
The exchange highlights a broader tension within Democratic circles about how to mobilize voters with less than two weeks until Election Day. Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have both stepped up their visibility to boost party candidates, though through markedly different platforms. While Bill Clinton has made traditional public appearances, Hillary Clinton has focused heavily on the podcast circuit with Swisher.
That strategy has drawn skepticism from some party operatives. Democratic strategist Mally Smith said last week that the Clintons retain relevance for certain segments of the electorate but face stiff headwinds in cutting through the noise.
“Hillary and Bill are still relevant to some voters. However, they will mostly be useful in speaking to the Democratic base and those who are highly engaged in politics,” Smith said. “It is a hard media environment to break through, and even current elected officials, let alone former office holders, will struggle to get people’s attention.”
McConaughey’s representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.