‘People are seeing the lie: Richard Gere says Trump has lost support

Actor Richard Gere slammed President Donald Trump, calling him "not so smart" or popular in the current times. Speaking to the Associated Press last month, Gere aired out some of his frustrations with the president and his policies, claiming that if there was an election today, he wouldn't win it. The comments come as various polls consistently find Trump's approval rating to be at an all-time low.

The Golden Globe award-winning actor said he believes Trump isn't as popular anymore, and that his policies and economic failures have exposed the reality. “I don’t think he’s so supported today. This is not someone who would be elected today. I think people are seeing the lie for what it is," Gere said in the interview. He further added that, according to him, the president is surrounded by  "some complete idiots, rabid idiots" who fill his years on policies including immigration. "This is not an intelligent guy, Trump," he said. 

The comments come as Trump received widely negative reviews for his handling of key issues. In a Washington Post-Ipsos poll, Americans expressed concerns about the high cost of living and were pessimistic that the administration’s start-and-stop negotiations with Iran will lead to lower gas prices or a peaceful solution. As per the poll, Trump’s overall approval rating stands at 37%, closer to his all-time low of 34% recorded by Pew Research Center. The WP-Ipsos poll further pegged Trump's disapproval rating at a whopping 61%, while his approval rating among registered voters was found to be 40%.  

In the same interview, Gere slammed Trump's outlook on immigration and foreign policy as well, drawing parallels between him and Adolf Hitler. "Trump uses the same words Hitler did. Calls them vermin. They’re not vermin. These are human beings. I’ve met them. He’s never met a refugee/migrant. These are human beings like us who are running from a fire of one kind or another," he said. The actor also criticized the administration for dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), claiming it was the most pure thing America had ever done. "It was a giveaway program to needy people. He stopped that day one. It was insane. He wouldn’t even know what it stands for, USAID. He has idiots around him who have the same ignorance about it," he said. 

Trump administration dismantled USAID last year with aid cuts leading to the closure of HIV clinics in South Africa, the termination of medical programs in Afghanistan, and the end of numerous programs helping alleviate malnutrition and preventable diseases across the globe. While the administration has long denied that any lives were lost due to the gutting of USAID, a study published in The Lancet medical journal projected that the aid cuts could lead to at least 9.4 million additional deaths by 2030, and about 2.5 million of those deaths are projected to be children under the age of 5.