Sean Penn, never one to hold back when it comes to politics, made headlines again during a candid conversation on Jim Acosta’s Substack podcast.
Appearing to promote his latest film Words of War, the Oscar-winning actor and activist opened up about world affairs, including his deep concerns over former President Donald Trump.
While discussing authoritarian leadership styles particularly in relation to El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, the conversation quickly pivoted to Trump.
Penn raised alarm over the potential long-term threat the former president poses to democracy and global stability, stating:
“We should consider worst case scenarios,” Penn warned. “He might try to destroy the world before he ages out of life.”
He drew a chilling comparison,
“I do think it’s a reasonable theory that Donald Trump is not unlike the spouse of someone who leaves him, perhaps for another, who then murders their former partner because if they can’t have her, nobody can. I think Donald Trump and his solipsism may have that relationship with the world and that this destruction is in part a power play, and also a literal intention of his final out.”
Joining the discussion was Congressman Eric Swalwell, who co-produced Words of War with Penn. Swalwell voiced his own concern over how Trump might act under pressure, saying:
“What worries me is if he doesn’t believe there’s somebody who can protect him, you will see him ratchet up what he’s willing to do to the country to protect himself.”
He added, “Our only hope is a Congress that will check it, a press that will report on it, a court that’s independent to rule on it and a town square filled with Americans who say ‘hell no.’”
Penn’s film Words of War explores the story of Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist assassinated in 2005 for her outspoken reporting.
It stars Maxine Peake and Jason Isaacs, and serves as both a biopic and a cautionary tale.
On that note, Penn drew direct parallels between the situation in Russia and America’s current trajectory:
“Those who think it can’t happen here either have not studied the certain indications that it will, unless people are involved and they’re educated.”
He continued, “We are tasting in our country what the Russians have gone through.”
Words of War is now screening in select theaters, offering not just a powerful historical lens, but a timely political reflection as well.
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