Home / Entertainment
Jane Fonda urges civic engagement while sharing thoughts on Trump
The actress draws parallels between Trump and her ex-husband, media mogul Ted Turner
Jane Fonda often imagines what she would say to former President Donald Trump if she ever had the opportunity, revealing her thoughts in a recent podcast appearance.
The 88-year-old actress told Kara Swisher on the On with Kara Swisher podcast that she frequently lies in bed thinking through conversations with the 79-year-old American leader.
Fonda said these imagined exchanges help her make sense of Trump’s behavior.
“In my mind, sometimes when I lie in bed, I have conversations with him and I feel like I understand something about him because I lived with Ted Turner for 10 years,” Fonda explained. Turner, the media mogul and founder of CNN, TBS, TNT, and World Championship Wrestling, was Fonda’s husband from 1991 to 2001.
Fonda drew parallels between Trump and Turner, citing early trauma in their lives as a factor shaping their behavior. “It’s important to understand what he does and what he says. The behavior is the language of the traumatised, and you have to see through it,” she said.
The actress emphasized that while she disapproves of Trump’s actions, she does not hate him. “You can hate the behavior, but you have to see through it to the traumatised person and not hate them, because if you hate them, then it brings you down. I don’t hate him,” Fonda added. She noted that her comments sparked disagreement from The View co-host Joy Behar, but said she felt at peace with her perspective.
Fonda also extended her commentary to other high-profile figures, including Elon Musk, describing them as “not well” and acting out the effects of personal struggles. “I’m so sorry that this happened to them in their lives. And I would try to touch that early Trump. But I don’t think I’d succeed,” she said.
Turning to politics, Fonda urged Americans to prepare for the next election and remain vigilant against threats to democracy. She warned that Trump is already signaling intentions to interfere with the midterm elections and encouraged civic engagement.