Legendary actor Dick Van Dyke is not holding his tongue when it comes to Donald Trump and the results of the 2024 Presidential election.
Paparazzi caught up with Dick Van Dyke while he was out with his 52-year-old wife, Arlene Silver. The cameraman cut to the chase, asking the “Mary Poppins” actor if he believed the future looked bright for America.
Van Dyke, who turns 99 years old next month, responded, “I hope you’re right.”
The photog followed up by asking, “Do you think Donald Trump is capable of making America great again?”
With a wry ten-word answer, Van Dyke quipped, “Fortunately, I won’t be around to experience the four years.”
The response may have been brief, but it carried a weight that resonated with his audience.
A video of the exchange, published by the Daily Mail, highlighted Van Dyke’s evident discontent, which he’s expressed openly since endorsing Kamala Harris in a rare social media post.
Comments on the story were largely MAGA-centric, some criticizing Van Dyke for sharing his political views and others taunting him about his age.
One commenter quipped, “So much for ‘with age comes wisdom,’” while another noted, “Well, the odds are in his favor that he’ll get his wish. How silly. You’d think after living nearly 99 years, someone would see there’s more to life than politics.”
A third comment stated, “He needs to make peace and not war with his maker. Time is short.”
The zinger might have gotten responses in the comment section, but based on the actor’s previous comments, Van Dyke thought that his endorsement of Harris was aligning with the candidate that wanted to make peace throughout the country and not ignite a sense of divide.
When Page Six posted the story on its Instagram, its 1.1 million followers weighed in with shock and disbelief that someone almost a centenarian would be so quick-witted and politically astute.
“I didn’t even know he was still alive,” one person wrote. Some one else shared, “Haven’t even read it but already approve.”
Many said that they were tired of Hollywood staples chiming in with their political views, with one person warning, “Sir your one leg is in the grave already, be nice.”
A month ahead of his 99th birthday on Dec. 13, Van Dyke is still spry and kicking, lending his thoughts to what’s going on in the world.
Even a day before the election, he shared a brief video endorsement of Harris on his Instagram. He recalled standing on stage with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Los Angeles, reading a message by The Twilight Zone creator, Rod Serling over 60 years ago.
The caption read, “VOTE!!! @kamalaharris @vp @kamalahq,” but the black and white video brought the sentiment home.
“Hatred is not the norm. Prejudice is not the norm. Suspicion, dislike, jealousy, scapegoating… none of those are the transcendent facet of the human personality,” he said in part, adding, “[They] are diseases. They are the cancers of the soul. They are the infectious and contagious viruses that have been bleeding humanity for years.’
Ultimately, Harris could not secure a victory, losing key swing states by fewer than a million votes, while Trump went on to win the electoral college with a decisive 312 votes to her 226.
Though delivered with his signature sarcasm, Van Dyke’s words reflect the uncertainty shared by many — even those much younger — who, like him, wonder what lies ahead. Still, he shows no sign of not calling out darkness when he gets the chance.