Once one of the funniest men in film and television, Dick Van Dyke has become a much less jovial figure in his old age.
The actor, who will soon turn 99, has long been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, but that trend took an especially dark turn when reporters caught up with him shortly after Trump’s big Election Day win.
As the Daily Mail reported:
The Mary Poppins star – who was seen with wife Arlene Silver, 52 – was asked: ‘Does the future look bright for America?’ to which he responded: ‘I hope you’re right!’
He was then asked: ‘Do you think Donald Trump is capable of making America great again?’
Van Dyke quipped that he would rather die than endure another Trump term, saying: ‘Fortunately I won’t be around to experience the four years.’
His remarks sparked some social media reactions:
Can't they just shut up? They destroy their legacy with this crap.
— Serena Brown 🧃 (@SerenaJB3) November 12, 2024
RIP Dick Van Dyke..💀 pic.twitter.com/N0yYt2gdTV
— Maria Leah (@maria_leah385) November 14, 2024
I would think at his age, you don't invite karma over for brunch.
— Liz (@Liz41525875) November 14, 2024
Ahead of the 2016 election, Van Dyke made his leftist politics clear by supporting Bernie Sanders, as Newsweek reported at the time:
Ninety-year-old actor Dick Van Dyke, a Sanders supporter, is happy to buck the trend.
“People in my generation are set in their ways,” Van Dyke said in an interview. “Some people are afraid he might get a little too drastic, that he might do something to upset the apple cart.”
Sanders, not known for his sense of humor, has also attracted a number of comedians as supporters, including Danny DeVito, Bill Maher and Sarah Silverman.
Here’s a clip of Van Dyke’s remarks just days before Election Day earlier this month:
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