Matthew McConaughey left Hollywood to a return to his home state of Texas, so could a move to Washington, D.C., be next?
The Oscar-winning actor hinted at a gubernatorial run in the Lone Star State back in 2022 but did not ultimately throw his hat in the ring. Even so, he has left open the possibility of seeking elected office.
On Wednesday’s show, McConaughey joined Megyn to discuss his new book Poems & Prayers and talk about why politics “could be” in his future.
Will He, or Won’t He?
While McConaughey has always been tightlipped about his party affiliation, he told New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy at the 2024 National Governors Association meeting over the summer that he has been on a “learning tour” for “the last six years” to see if he has the “instincts and intellect” to “be useful” as an elected official.
With that in mind, Megyn asked if politics is “potentially still part of your future, your story.” And McConaughey, once again, left the door open. “I don’t know. Could be,” he shared.
The actor said he has been “studying different categories of where I could be most useful” and “what leadership roles am I equipped for” over the last several years and has not “canceled out” the possibility.
“It’s inherently not my language. I’m more of a poet, philosopher, and I’m dealing with values… and belief, which I believe are true progress above the political sphere of left and right battling. That’s the space that I’m in now,” he explained. “I am aware that issues matter, that politics and legislation all matters, so I have not canceled it out.”
Instead, McConaughey said he has “given it and still continue to give it some real consideration” as he explores whether government is the “right place where I can be the most useful.”
“But I’m not going to bend my back to force myself in it,” he added. “I will get in deep enough where, if I’m in it, I’ll look up and I won’t be able to help it. I’ll just be there. I will be pulled in.”
Answering the Call
Whether or not he ends up in Washington or the governor’s mansion, McConaughey believes the process of considering how you would govern and legislate has value. “It is a very conscientious headspace to ask yourself… What if I was the leader of a state, of a nation, of a world,” he said. “Could you call yourself on some of your bullshit and go: What decision would I make? What are my own beliefs and where do they transfer to what I would believe for the masses?”
One of the things McConaughey admitted he would struggle with is how to stay true to himself and his values. “We all know in politics they’re not all doing what they believe… I would not want to go be in anything where I would need to betray myself, and there’s a lot of betrayal that comes, inherently, in politics,” he explained. “I work hard enough to try and get a good night’s sleep, trying to win the fair games and fair fights, which are already hard to win.”
If he does eventually decide to make the jump from actor and author to politician, it will not be until he is in a different place with his number one role: fatherhood. “Right now, I’ve got my three kids. I want to get them out of the house as healthy as possible and, hopefully, as much individuals as they are possible,” he concluded. “And then when that opens up – after me being the on-site father that I am and try to be – I will be open to considering what my next avenues are.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with McConaughey by tuning in to episode 1,156 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.