“Dumb people insist that Ron Swanson would’ve voted for Trump”: Nick Offerman clears the air on his “Parks & Recreation” character’s potential politics
The comedy show Parks and Recreation never failed to provide its audience with some of the funniest moments through political-satire tendencies. One of the well-known characters from that series is Ron Swanson.
Standing out as perhaps the most notable figure in Pawnee, Swanson became known for his passionate leadership and views the government as something that is a work in progress.
Nick Offerman’s commentary on his character
Recently, Nick Offerman, who portrays Swanson on Parks and Recreation, spoke with IndieWire on his thoughts regarding people who believe that his character is a Trump supporter. Because of this, he was quick to point out reasonable facts about how this is false and what Swanson stands for politically.
"Dumb people insist that Ron Swanson would’ve voted for Trump. And I don’t deign to answer myself,” Offerman said. “I take it to Mike Schur, the main creator of Ron, and he said, ‘Swanson would’ve despised Trump, because Ron loved capitalism. And Trump made the stupidest move you could make as a capitalist, which is to go into public service.'”
On the show, Swanson had a strong belief in implementing a small government, and even wanted citizens to have independent liberty, meaning that he was all about the state of being free and exercising the rights that were given to society. However, Offerman knew that someone like Swanson wouldn’t vote for Trump, mainly due to how he further disrupts democracy and isn’t fully aware of how to run for office.
“He would think he’s an absolute idiot,” Offerman continued about Ron’s thoughts on Trump. “He would also despise him because he’s disrespectful to women and many others. And that’s just an example of all the people and value sets that Ron would despise, because Ron is a good person.”
Offerman shares many similarities with Swanson
In his own life, Offerman has been known to be outspoken in terms of his political views. Leading up to the 2024 Presidential Election, he released a politically-charged song that explored his pride in supporting Kamala Harris and throwing jokes at President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Trump supporters.
“So, I’m proud to be on Kamala’s side, where I know I’ll never see some spray-tanned tool denying her ethnic identity,” he sang. The song received massive support from Parks and Recreation fans and Harris supporters alike.
Earlier this year, Offerman won an award at the Independent Spirit Award for his role in the HBO series The Last of Us. His character Bill became the target of anti-gay hate, which Offerman took the time to speak about in his acceptance speech.
Offerman stated, “Stories with guts, that when homophobic hate comes my way and says, ‘Why did you have to make it a gay story?’ We say, ‘Because you ask questions like that.’ It’s not a gay story. It’s a love story, you asshole.”
Spoken like a true king.
Social media chimes in on Offerman’s commentary
Redditors provided their detailed opinions on why some believe Ron Swanson would be considered a Trump supporter.
One user wrote, ”It baffles me how people misread this character. Someone tweeted a Ron gif in an anti gay marriage context, and Nick Offerman was quick to point out that Ron was the best man at a gay wedding. I swear they are being wilfully stupid at this point.”
Another user pointed out Swanson's persona as genuine, stating, ”Ron had values like honesty and hard work. He believed in self-reliance. He didn't trust banks. He hated gimmicks and trends. None of that equals Trump.”
Many Redditors also clocked Swanson as a Libertarian, due to his own political views and the authentic way that he would treat people who were different from him. One user writes, ”Ron is a legitimate Libertarian; there is no way someone who actually understands libertarian views would vote for Trump. People who call themselves libertarians very rarely have a clue what it means.”
Another Redditor adds, ”Ron also didn't tolerate bullshit and incompetence, no way he would approve of Trump, especially the current administration.”
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