Andrew Garfield criticized Donald Trump during a new interview, calling the president a “wannabe fascist” while discussing the darker impulses behind populist politics.
Garfield also reflected on power, celebrity culture, and self-awareness, arguing that people should examine their own flaws rather than simply seeing destructive traits in others.
Andrew Garfield says people must confront the impulses that helped Donald Trump gain power
Garfield’s comments came during a wide-ranging interview with Esquire that also touched on Nigel Farage and his latest roles. He argued that people should examine their own flaws instead of pretending destructive traits belong only to others.
In the interview, Garfield discussed his approach to playing morally complicated characters. His upcoming projects include playing OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial.
That work led him toward Carl Jung’s concept of the “shadow self.” Garfield explained that people often reject qualities they fear within themselves. He then connected that idea directly to politics.
“If we weren’t all less rejecting in the first place,” he said, Donald Trump “wouldn’t have been voted in twice.” He also argued that Nigel Farage might not have gained political influence.
Garfield then got considerably more pointed. He urged people to ask where they might recognize “a wannabe fascist, grifter, opportunist, power-hungry, ethic-less, spineless fucking pig.”
The Spider-Man star argued that acknowledging those impulses made them easier to confront. “We can identify that this is the bad part of us,” he continued. “We know this in ourselves.”
Garfield has criticized Trump before. In previous interviews, he called the president a “sick man” and questioned the celebrity culture surrounding his political rise.
Meanwhile, his latest comments also reflected themes from The Uprising, his new Paul Greengrass drama. The film explores class inequality, abuses of power, and populist movements during England’s Peasants’ Revolt.
Garfield said the story felt strikingly relevant today. He suggested audiences across the political spectrum might see themselves in its rebellion.
After tackling darker roles in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, After the Hunt, and Artificial, Garfield admitted he preferred playing nicer characters. Still, examining humanity’s uglier side clearly remained on his mind.
