“Pretty Woman” actor Richard Gere let it rip while sharing his honest take on President Donald Trump.
Like many Americans, the Philadelphia native is astounded by the actions of the current White House administration.
The 76-year-old believes Americans are living through the darkest times and warns everyone to be on high alert going forward.
Gere gave his blistering take on Trump while in Norway on Tuesday.
He attended the Oslo Freedom Forum to present the Vaclav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent.
“We have to be vigilant. We can’t sit back and go, ‘Ah, life is good. I’m fine. I’ve got food. I got money. Blah blah blah. I got my house. I got another car,” Gere said on stage, per the Washington Times.
He called Trump a “bad guy” along with another humiliating nickname. He then blamed Trump for people “living in the darkest moment that I’ve experienced on this planet.”
“Whoever thought America could turn like this? Whoever thought that a maniac like this would be president of the United States?” Gere asked.
The “An Officer and a Gentleman” star accused Trump of dismantling “all the good things” about the country.
Richard Gere with a word.. pic.twitter.com/joMqYz3ETe
— Loni Love (@LoniLove) June 3, 2026
“America’s never been a perfect place, but it has a perfect ideal that it’s moving towards and always has. And it’s been self-corrective,” Gere explained. “First day, this guy dismantled almost everything that was good about the US government and the US people.”
Gere then shifted gears, blaming people who voted for Trump and Americans for failing to pay attention.
“How is this even possible? Because we went to sleep. We went to sleep… we didn’t care, we didn’t vote, we didn’t really listen,” he explained.
He later admitted he could have done more to stop Trump’s “dictatorship of the monsters.”
“I didn’t do enough work to skillfully convince people around me … that this was insane to elect this person as president of the United States,” Gere added.
His words struck a nerve on social media, with Facebook users praising the actor for speaking up about Trump.
Most agreed, “This is the absolute truth.”
“Mr Gere is absolutely right,” said a second person. “This whole Administration is a shameful chapter in American history. All actors seem hand-in-Glove. Very unfair to the American people. Must be punished.”
The praise did come without negative-nancy claims, like “I used to respect this guy as an actor. That’s all gone,” and “I think he’s lost his marbles.”
Gere’s indirect attack also angered MAGA supporters who wondered, “What good things were dismantled by Trump?”
Fans of Gere and critics of the president quickly compiled a long list of institutions and programs they believe have suffered since he returned to office in 2025.
They pointed to social services, national parks, the EPA, FAA, watchdog groups, journalists, veterans’ benefits, immigration, programs for low-income families and people with disabilities, abortion access, foreign relations, and America’s standing abroad.
The list goes on and on.
Though many argued those losses pale in comparison to something less tangible but equally important. “The biggest disruption is: RESPECT for HUMANITY!” one commenter wrote.
“Omg, are you serious???????” said one Trump critic. “We are living in a nightmare.”
Gere rarely wades into the political spotlight these days, which made his blunt remarks all the more surprising to many viewers.
But it’s not his first rodeo.
Last October, “The Hoax” star said Trump was “crazy” and had a “dark presence” when approached by reporters at a charity event in Spain.
Actor Richard Gere on Donald Trump: “We have a president who’s not only crazy, he’s a dark, dark presence. And it’s happened so quickly. Six months, he’s almost destroyed our country” pic.twitter.com/OcpgA1EIRC
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) October 2, 2025
Social media was left divided, with supporters praising the actor’s candor and critics dismissing him as a Hollywood star who no longer lives in the United States.
Gere relocated to Madrid, Spain, in 2024, with his wife, Alejandra Silva, to be closer to her family and culture.
The reactions underscored how deeply divided Americans remain, with critics viewing Gere’s comments as a warning and supporters of the president dismissing them as another Hollywood political rant.
But his political activism has occasionally come at a professional cost.
In 1993, while presenting at the Academy Awards, he veered off script and used his time on stage to criticize China’s human rights record and its treatment of Tibet.
The remarks reportedly angered Academy officials, and Gere later said he was effectively shut out of participating in the Oscars for roughly two decades as a result.
His outspoken support for Tibet and the Dalai Lama has also made him a controversial figure in China, where many of his films have faced restrictions and another ban. Some would consider him blacklisted from big blockbuster movies.
