Vince Vaughn sent social media into a frenzy after he was seen socializing with Donald and Melania Trump at the NCAA College Football Championship game in New Orleans on Monday night.
A video of the actor chatting with the president and first lady in a suite at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome went viral as some users slammed Vaughn and others mocked his critics.
Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond is heard blaring through stadium speakers as Vaughn and Donald exchange pleasantries for about 15 seconds while Melania sits between the two men.
Vaughn then shakes the president’s hand before standing up and waving as he walks away.
A video of Vince Vaughn chatting with Donald and Melania Trump at the NCAA College Football Championship game in New Orleans sent social media into a frenzy on Monday night
A video of the actor chatting with the president and first lady in a suite at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome went viral as some users slammed Vaughn and others mocked his critics
Florida-based journalist Timothy Burke shared the video on Twitter, writing in the caption: ‘I’m very sorry to have to share this video with you. All of it, every part of it.’
Several users replied to the tweet echoing Burke’s disgust.
Liberal political blogger Bill Palmer wrote: ‘Vince Vaughn had the chance to stand up to a rapist, traitor, and child murderer, and instead he enthusiastically shook Donald Trump’s hand. F**k em both.’
Another user tweeted: ‘I used to have a massive crush on Vince Vaughn. Now I just want to barf.’
Others in the comment thread ridiculed the critics for ‘canceling’ Vaughn over one cordial conversation.
‘OMG the humanity! This is terrible! We must all now hate Vince Vaughn! You would have done great under Stalin,’ Washington Post journalist Marc Thiessen wrote.
Mike Stanley tweeted: ‘I’m sorry, but if Vince Vaughn shaking Trump’s hand makes you lose your mind, you’ve got some issues you may want to contact a professional about.’
Liberal political blogger Bill Palmer led critics vilifying Vaughn over the meeting
Washington Post journalist was among dozens of users who ridiculed the critics for ‘canceling’ Vaughn over one cordial conversation
Some pointed out that the exchange should not come as a surprise because Vaughn has been vocal about his conservative views in the past
Some pointed out that the exchange should not come as a surprise because Vaughn has been vocal about his conservative views in the past.
A user under the handle @troublewithtribble wrote: ‘Not sure why people are surprised that Vince Vaughn talks to Donald Trump. He’s been a conservative forever.’
It turned out to be a good night for Vaughn, who not only got to meet the president but also watched his team, the LSU Tigers, handily beat the Clemson Tigers in a 42-25 victory.
Vaughn has shared conservative opinions on issues such as gun control, taxes and limited government on several occasions over the past few years.
He opened up about his views on Second Amendment rights in a GQ interview in 2015, telling the magazine: ‘I support people having a gun in public full stop, not just in your home. We don’t have the right to bear arms because of burglars; we have the right to bear arms to resist the supreme power of a corrupt and abusive government. It’s not about duck hunting; it’s about the ability of the individual. It’s the same reason we have freedom of speech.’
It turned out to be a good night for Vaughn, who not only got to meet the president but also watched his team, the LSU Tigers, handily beat the Clemson Tigers in a 42-25 victory
Donald and Melania also appeared to enjoy themselves as they received a warm welcome from the crowd as they took the field for the National Anthem
Asked whether teachers should be allowed to carry firearms in schools, Vaughn said: ‘Of course. You think the politicians that run my country and your country don’t have guns in the schools their kids go to? They do.’
He added: ‘And we should be allowed the same rights. Banning guns is like banning forks in an attempt to stop making people fat. Taking away guns, taking away drugs, the booze, it won’t rid the world of criminality.’
Vaughn reportedly backed two Republican presidential candidates in 2012 – Ron Paul and the nominee Mitt Romney.
He’s also spoken out against big government. He was quoted in a 2015 Telegraph article as saying: ‘I think that as you get older, you just get less trust in the government running anything.’
He also said: ‘Governments claim to write endless laws to protect us, a law for this, a law for that, but are they working? I don’t think so. The consequences are that there is a staggering loss of freedom for the individual.’