Matthew McConaughey answered one big question and left open several others in a video he posted Sunday about his future in politics. The news is that he is not running for governor of Texas next year. "As a simple kid born in the little town of Uvalde, Texas, it never occurred to me that I would be considered for political leadership," the actor said. "It's a humbling and inspiring path to ponder. It is also a path that I'm choosing not to take at this moment."
McConaughey led both Abbott and O'Rourke in recent polling, but he "never did much to elaborate on how he would have run, and he did not seem particularly attuned to political events in Texas," The Texas Tribune notes. He has previously described himself as "aggressively centrist."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
O'Rourke was among those that have pinned McConaughey's robust poll numbers in part on his political blank canvas. "He's a really popular figure whose political views have not in any way been fixed," O'Rourke said in September. McConaughey hasn't said which party he identifies with more or even who he voted for in 2020, and "I don't know how he feels about any of the issues that we've brought up."
McConaughey did explain his views on leadership and what he would like to see in political leaders, and he offered that instead of running for political leadership himself, he plans to continue supporting "entrepreneurs, businesses, and foundations that I believe are leaders" and that are "creating pathways for people to succeed in life."
-
Nicola Sturgeon's memoir: making the personal politicalTalking Point Former Scottish first minister attempts to set record straight in 'Frankly' but does she leave more questions than answers?
-
Trump-Putin: would land swap deal end Ukraine war?Today's Big Question Ukraine ready to make 'painful but acceptable' territorial concessions – but it still might not be enough for Vladimir Putin
-
The truth about sunscreenThe Explainer The science behind influencer claims that sun cream is toxic
-
Trump sends FBI to patrol DC, despite falling crimeSpeed Read Washington, D.C., 'has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world,' Trump said
-
Trump officials reinstating 2 Confederate monumentsSpeed Read The administration has plans to 'restore Confederate names and symbols' discarded in the wake of George Floyd's 2020 murder
-
Trump nominates Powell critic for vacant Fed seatspeed read Stephen Miran, the chair of Trump's Council of Economic Advisers and a fellow critic of Fed chair Jerome Powell, has been nominated to fill a seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors
-
ICE scraps age limits amid hiring pushSpeed Read Anyone 18 or older can now apply to be an ICE agent
-
Trump's global tariffs take effect, with new additionsSpeed Read Tariffs on more than 90 US trading partners went into effect, escalating the global trade war
-
House committee subpoenas Epstein filesSpeed Read The House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for its Jeffrey Epstein files with an Aug. 19 deadline
-
India rejects Trump threat over Russian oilSpeed Read The president said he would raise tariffs on India for buying and selling Russian oil
-
NY's Hochul vows response to Texas gerrymanderSpeed Read Gov. Kathy Hochul has promised to play ball with redistricting that favors the Democrats
