Josh Brolin Shares Thoughts on His Friendship with Trump: Praising His Marketing Skills
Josh Brolin Reflects on Past Friendship with Donald Trump
In a recent interview promoting his upcoming film Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, actor Josh Brolin discussed his past friendship with Donald Trump, reflecting on their relationship during the business mogul’s pre-presidential days in New York City. Brolin described Trump as a “genius” in marketing, asserting that he knows a different version of Trump compared to the political persona he presents today.
During the lengthy conversation with The Independent, Brolin clarified that his character in the film, Monsignor Wicks, a megalomaniac church leader, was not inspired by Trump. “I could make something up and say it was rooted in a kind of Trumpian greed,” he stated.
Brolin further elaborated on his past encounters with Trump, expressing no fear of the former president. “I’m not scared of Trump, because even though he says he’s staying forever, it’s just not going to happen,” he remarked. He acknowledged their friendship from before Trump took office, saying, “I know a different guy.”
He touched upon the Trump Hotel, suggesting that its construction involved significant corruption. Brolin found the notion of building a high-rise in a struggling city during the late 1970s to be intriguing. “Now it’s power unmitigated, it’s unregulated,” he observed.
Brolin, known for his role in No Country for Old Men, concluded with a commentary on Trump’s marketing prowess. “There is no greater genius than him in marketing – he takes the weakness of the general population and fills it. And that’s why I think a lot of people feel that they have a mascot in him,” he added. He attributed the connection to a broader societal need for validation, asserting that this phenomenon extends beyond Trump himself.
Brolin’s acquaintance with Trump began after he filmed Oliver Stone’s Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps in 2010. Reflecting on their first dinner together, which also included Stone, co-star Shia LaBeouf, and Melania Trump, Brolin described a particularly unusual moment when Trump ignored his multiple requests to tour his Manhattan apartment.
Further down the line, Brolin reiterated his past friendship during a 2016 appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, stating, “I was” buddies with Trump, and acknowledged Trump’s influence in shaping Manhattan’s economy, calling him an “interesting guy.”
In 2020, Brolin took to Instagram to describe himself as a “conservative Democrat” and spoke out against Trump ahead of the presidential election, declaring, “I refuse to believe that Donald Trump is our core version of American masculinity.”
