Actor and activist Sean Penn voices grave concerns about Donald Trump’s influence and global threat in a bold podcast appearance promoting his new film Words of War.
Los Angeles, May 6: Actor and outspoken activist Sean Penn didn’t mince words during a recent appearance on Jim Acosta’s podcast on Substack, where he discussed his latest film Words of War and voiced deeply critical opinions on former U.S. President Donald Trump. The Oscar-winning actor drew a chilling analogy, comparing Trump to a destructive ex-partner who “would rather burn the house down than see someone else live in it.”
Speaking candidly alongside Congressman Eric Swalwell, who co-produced Words of War, Penn reflected on the risks of Trump returning to power, saying, “I think it’s a reasonable theory that Donald Trump… may have that relationship with the world — if he can’t have it, no one can.” Penn added, “Trump might try to destroy the world before he ages out of life.”
Swalwell echoed the concerns, warning of Trump’s growing desperation. “What worries me is if he doesn’t believe there’s somebody who can protect him, you’ll see him ratchet up what he’s willing to do to the country,” he said. He emphasized the need for vigilance: “Our only hope is a Congress that will check him, a press that will report on him, and a town square filled with Americans who say ‘hell no.’”
The conversation also addressed international politics, particularly the subject of Words of War — the life and assassination of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was murdered in 2005 outside her Moscow apartment. The film, starring Maxine Peake and Jason Isaacs, examines state oppression and journalistic courage in Putin’s Russia.
Drawing parallels to current U.S. affairs, Penn remarked, “Those who think it can’t happen here either have not studied the signs. We are tasting in our country what the Russians have gone through.”
Words of War is currently playing in select theaters.