Barbra Streisand is opening up about her historic Hollywood career and deep-seated disdain for President Donald Trump in a rare interview with Variety.
The Oscar-winning actress, 75, does not hold back either, as she states that President Trump deserves some of the blame for the school shooting that happened two weeks ago in Florida that left 17 dead.
She takes some time to praise her close friend Hillary Clinton as well, who she has been a very vocal supporter of throughout her political career.
Streisand also reveals her belief that Clinton actually won the election back in 2016, sharing her suspicions that voting machines were tampered with in some states.
What’s up, Don?: Barbra Streisand says in a new interview with Variety (cover above) that President Trump shares some of the blame for the shooting in Florida earlier this month
Hello, Donny: ‘I think even that shooter was affected because Trump brings out the violence in people. He says, “It’s OK — rally, lock her up,”” explains the actress (Trump above on Monday)
‘I really believe she won the election,’ said Streisand.
‘I’ve talked to senators from Michigan and Wisconsin. I do believe, like I believed during Bush, they were playing with those voter machines. And [Al Gore] lost by 537 votes out of 104 million.’
She then notes of the 2000 election that ‘Bush looks quite good compared to Trump.’
Streisand goes on to say: ‘At least he’s not mean-spirited. He’s not a guy who is retaliating for what Obama did at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.’
The talk then turns to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, with Streisand saying she thinks that President Trump’s braggadocios nature and public comments fueled the teenager who murdered 17 people.
‘I think even that shooter was affected because Trump brings out the violence in people. He says, “It’s OK — rally, lock her up,”” explains the actress.
She characterizes Trump at one point by saying: ‘He embodies the nasty remarks he makes about other people. He’s a liar. He’s crooked.’
Streisand also reveals that she was with Clinton on the day she infamously called Trump supporters a ‘basket of deplorables’ during her campaign.
‘She was sick,’ explains Streisand.
‘I was giving her tea. I was like, “Here, these are good lozenges, and you’re coughing and you got to keep drinking liquids.” I didn’t know she had pneumonia.’
Two days later, Clinton collapsed while leaving an event paying tribute to the victims of 9/11 at Ground Zero.
Funny girl: Streisand, 75, also believes that Hillary Clinton won the presidential election and blames her loss of rigged voting machines (Streisand and the Clintons above in 2013)
Patient zero: Streisand also reveals that two of her three dogs were cloned from cells taken from the stomach of her beloved pet Samantha (above), who died last year
Streisand previously penned a piece for Huff Post two months before the election in which she detailed her many problems with Trump, from his policies and beliefs to his physical appearance.
‘Trump is both spreading and reflecting bigotry and hatred,’ wrote Streisand, referring at the time to his attempts earlier that year to have an American-born judge of Mexican heritage taken off his Trump University case in the wake of his comments about immigration.
She also criticized Trump for his comments about Hillary not looking presidential.
‘What does that mean… coming from a guy who looks like a raccoon in a tanning bed… with a flying squirrel on his head?’ opined Streisand.
‘That’s what a president is supposed to look like? A wrestler who dies [sic] his hair blonde?’
She closed out the piece by writing: ‘We cannot allow America to fall into the hands of a narcissist who has shown no regard for anyone but himself… a bigoted and misogynist reality-TV character with no political experience and no qualms about lying loudly and often.
‘There is NO equivalency between these two candidates. Only Hillary Clinton has the skills, the knowledge, the temperament and the compassion to lead this nation.’
That came one month after she made a grand statement on the opening night of her most recent tour back in August 2016, saying before she launched into her song Happy Days Are Here Again that she had performed the tune for three presidents in her lifetime.
‘And I hope in a few months from now I will be singing it for the next President Clinton,’ said Streisand.
That did not ultimately pan out for the chanteuse or her candidate.
Streisand was being interviewed in light of the recent #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, given her vaunted status in the industry and the fact that she was the first major female star to successfully transition into the role of director with her 1983 film Yentl.
She won the Golden Globe for Best Picture (Comedy or Musical) and Best Director for her rookie effort, but received no love from the Academy.
‘It was strange,’ recalls Streisand of the snubs, with the film failing to receive nods for Best picture, Best Director or Best Actress.
‘I didn’t mind it for one reason: It really showed the sexism. I thought by not being nominated, I put a spotlight on the issue. I thought, “Wow. This is so transparent.”‘
And, like so many actors have done over the past few months, Streisand shares her own story about Harvey Weinstein.
‘I thought he was vulkgar,’ she says, recalling his anger after she refused to perform a song on the soundtrack for his Broadway production of Finding Neverland and accompany him to opening night.
She claims Weinstein responded by saying he would not work with her or send screeners of his company’s films to her home.
‘That kind of stupidity. So I thought he was a boorish guy,’ says Streisand.
She is still waiting for a good project to direct, saying she had been interested in doing Hidden Figures but it did not work out due to timing, and is on the hunt for another film.
Streisand also says there are only two roles she will play at this time, French actress Sarah Bernhardt and Mama Rose in a big-screen adaptation of Gypsy.
She spends her time on other hobbies now at her Malibu estate, where she lives with husband James Brolin and her cloned dogs.
Two of her three Coton de Tulear dogs, Miss Violet and Miss Scarlett, were cloned from cells of her 14-year-old dog Samantha who died last year.
‘They have different personalities,’ says Streisand.
‘I’m waiting for them to get older so I can see if they have her brown eyes and her seriousness.’