Donald Trump’s strikes on Iran have set off backlash in Hollywood, where several celebrities from Carrie Coon, John Cusack and Rosie O’Donnell to Mark Ruffalo, Jack White, and Jane Fonda are calling out his actons.
Carrie Coon delivered one of the sharpest one-liners, writing, ‘Department of War.’ They weren’t kidding about that.’ John Cusack went further, casting the escalation as political distraction, while Rosie O’Donnell posted with the hashtag #impeachtrump and pointed back to Trump’s own 2024 language about ending conflicts. The criticism has been mostly focused on a specific contradiction: Trump campaigned as an anti-war candidate, and many of his critics are now using that record against him.
Jane Fonda and Mark Ruffalo Push the Opposition Further
Jane Fonda, a longtime anti-war activist, joined protesters in downtown Los Angeles and warned that the strikes could widen into a much bigger conflict with real costs for U.S. troops and civilians. Local coverage from ABC7 reported that Fonda spoke at an anti-war gathering as demonstrators argued the attack risked more bloodshed and deeper U.S. involvement.
Mark Ruffalo took a different route, posting about Jared Kushner and writing that he was sent to make sure the U.S. ended up at war. That post, echoed across multiple reports, pushed the reaction beyond outrage and into motive, suggesting that for some of Trump’s critics, the issue is not just the strike itself but who helped shape the path to it.
Celebrity Response Has Not Been Unified
While the celebrity criticism has been loud in some corners of Hollywood, not everyone in entertainment and media has condemned the strikes, and some right-leaning voices have framed the operation as Trump delivering on strength and national security. Actor James Woods was among those backing that view, with coverage summarizing the reaction as ‘promises kept.’
This split says as much about the country as it does about Hollywood. Trump’s foreign policy has long divided the public, and the reaction to Iran is no different. With the strikes carrying wider implications for U.S. relations and global stability, the celebrity fallout matters because these voices can help shape how the story lands with the public.
