Tom Hanks Has Made His Thoughts On 'Gasbag' Donald Trump Painfully Clear

Most people become fans of entertainers because they enjoy the artists' works or their performance style. President Donald Trump, on the other hand, seems to choose his favorite actors and musicians based on whether they like him. For instance, Trump was positively giddy at finding out Sydney Sweeney is a Republican, voicing his support of her controversial American Eagle jeans ad because of her political affiliation. But once Taylor Swift became publcly critical of him, he dismissed her as "Woke" and "NO LONGER HOT"  on his Truth Social account. Similarly, the president was quick to express his delight when he learned that the U.S. Military Academy had canceled a scheduled ceremony honoring Tom Hanks. Trump ranted about Hanks, saying, "We don't need destructive, WOKE recipients getting our cherished American Awards!" Why would he be throwing such shade at one of America's most beloved actors? Could it possibly be because of some of the things Hanks has said about him? 

The Trump-Hanks feud dates back at least as far as 2016, when the real estate mogul launched his first presidential election campaign. While in Italy receiving a lifetime achievement award from the Rome Film Festival, the Oscar-winning actor spoke out (via Fox News): "[W]ithout a doubt the world is going through something quite profound in which the future is shaky," Hanks said. "When America has faced those circumstances and times, we have never turned to a simplistic, self-involved gasbag of a candidate." When history proved him wrong, he followed up with another speech at the Museum of Modern Art in which he soothed, "We are going to be all right" (per Vulture). "[W]e will move forward, because if we do not move forward, what is to be said about us?"

Tom Hanks is considered one of Hollywood's most down-to-earth celebrities for his humility and his philanthropic work. Not content merely to play military members in movies like "Saving Private Ryan," Hanks also supports veterans in a tangible way through efforts like his Hanks For Our Troops coffee brand, which donates all its profits to organizations serving the military. In another lifetime, he might have become friends with Donald Trump if the mogul had stuck to real estate. But in the current political climate, we're more likely to see an end to the feud between King Charles III and Prince Harry than we are to observe any chumminess between the president and the "Apollo 13" actor. The two can't even relate as guy to guy. When Trump's infamous "Access Hollywood" audiotape made headlines in 2016, Hanks spoke out against it vehemently, calling it "wrong, period. The end" (via The Hollywood Reporter). "I'm offended as a man. I'm not offended as a husband or a father. I'm offended as a guy," he declared.

Hanks's appearance on the "Saturday Night Live" 50th anniversary special probably didn't win any points with the president, either. In a sketch called "Black Jeopardy," the actor appeared as the sole white contestant, sporting a MAGA hat, a good-old-boy accent, and microaggressions toward his competitors. Reportedly, First Lady Melania Trump enjoys the impressions on "SNL," but it's hard to say how she might have felt about this one. Whatever the case, Hanks's willingness to spoof the president's followers also shows he hasn't softened his stance toward Trump. Expect to see more Truth Social quotes slamming Hanks's talent and politics in the months to come...unless by some miracle Hanks becomes a Republican, that is.