the political climate

Stanley Tucci Has Some Fighting Words for Donald Trump’s Arts-Education Plans

Photo: 2017 Getty Images

There has certainly been no shortage of Hollywood figures criticizing Donald Trump before and after he assumed the presidency — sorry, Scott Baio! — with a copious amount of messages delivered via prominent awards shows, social-media pages, or even song parodies continuously dominating the headlines. So, all-around swell guy Stanley Tucci decided to take advantage of the recent press conference for his new film Final Portrait to get his anti-Trump thoughts to the general public, and he wants to make it very clear that he isn’t the least bit thrilled by Trump’s continued threats to cut the funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. In fact, he’s livid. “I don’t think our film can influence the president in any way, shape, or form,” Tucci, who directed the film about artist Alberto Giacometti, explained. “There, government has always had an ambiguous relationship to the arts in the U.S. … I can imagine if this administration has its way, they will eviscerate the arts. Art should be an intrinsic part of life, but many people don’t see art as an important part of education. This administration may not even see education as important.” Safe to say he doesn’t like Betsy DeVos, either.

Tucci Has Fighting Words for Trump’s Arts-Education Plans