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AI gives surprising response after being asked whether Matthew McConaughey could become US president in 2028
As the midterm elections grow ever closer, one Hollywood star has put his hat in the ring to become the next president, but would it be wise to have another A-lister in office?
On Sunday, October 18, Dallas Buyers Club star Matthew McConaughey posted a six-minute video on social media arguing that political independents “belong in the fight”, stirring rumors that he is considering standing in the 2028 presidential race.
McConaughey told his 2.8 million X followers: “Independent does not mean you’re the middle of the road. Independent is the original road. Before there was ever a Republican or Democrat, there was an American.
“Independents belong in the fight. Not as a protest, not as a spoiler, but as a real and potential winner on the ballot and considered seriously by us.”
However, in the video, the 56-year-old actor insisted it was not intended to be about him, but “the upcoming battle”. Rather than endorsing a candidate or party, he aims to encourage “fairness and reality”.
This is not the first time the actor has flirted with politics
In 2022, McConaughey said that if he ever ended up on the ballot for president, it would be because the path “chose him”.
When asked about a future run for the White House at a conference in his home state of Texas, he said: “We get pulled into things… It’s inevitable. I didn’t choose it, it chose me.”
The Oscar winner also considered running for Texas governor in 2021 but later decided he wasn’t ready.
Now many fans are questioning whether he has plans to enter the next presidential race. AI has given a surprising response about whether or not McConaughey could actually get the top job in the White House.
The odds are stacked against him
Firstly, McConaughey is not a candidate and has a proven track record of getting people’s hopes up, then backing out.
Also, the independent route he’s championing is historically the hardest path to the White House. No independent has won since George Washington, and even well-funded efforts like Ross Perot’s in 1992 won zero electoral votes.
Another major hindrance is his lack of political direction. Reporters note he has remained vague about party leanings, and the Texas Tribune has criticized him, claiming he hasn’t voted in a primary race since ‘at least’ 2012.
Could he legally become president in 2028?
There is no legal framework holding the ambitious actor back; the Constitution sets three requirements, and he meets all of them. He’s a natural-born citizen, born in Uvalde, Texas, in 1969. He’s over 35. And he has lived in the US for well over 14 years, mostly in Austin.
There’s also nothing stopping him from running as an independent, though he’d have to collect signatures to get on the ballot state by state. That’s expensive and slow, and it would need to start in 2027 to get onto all 50 ballots.
In reality, although Trump was a celebrity and had little to do with politics before running in the 2016 race, you would hope that US citizens would vote for someone with a more relevant political background this time.