Hollywood actor Vince Vaughn surprised fans with a visit to the Oval Office on Good Friday as the White House shared a smiling picture of him with President Trump.
Vaughn has quietly emerged as a conservative in recent years and has popped up at several Trump events, with Friday’s picture with Trump his clearest show for support yet for the president’s MAGA movement.
Although Vaughn has not publicly said he supports Trump, the image divided fans as some said they were disappointed to see him with the Republican, despite the actor previously showing support at one of Trump’s celebratory inauguration balls in January.
‘Vince is a conservative?’ one viewer said on X, with another branding it a ‘shame’ because they ‘used to love Vince Vaughn.’
Others took to mocking the White House’s caption of ‘White House Crashers’ – a joke on Vaughn’s 2005 hit Wedding Crashers – with memes branding them the ‘Stock Market Crashers.’
However, while some fans were less than impressed, others cheered the actor’s presence in the White House, which comes as several Hollywood actors have broken ranks with their liberal industry and gone MAGA in recent times.
‘Good to know Vaughn is on the winning team,’ one commenter responded to the White House’s X post.
Another noted that they were glad to see Vaughn in the halls of power after he was sharply criticized in 2020 when he was seen shaking Trump’s hand at a baseball game.
Hollywood actor Vince Vaughn surprised fans with a visit to the Oval Office on Good Friday as the White House shared a smiling picture of him with President Trump
The image divided opinions, with some mocking the White House’s caption of ‘White House Crashers’ – a joke on Vaughn’s 2005 hit Wedding Crashers – with memes branding them the ‘Stock Market Crashers’
The fan said they thought it was ‘awesome’ to see Vaughn with Trump in the White House years after facing backlash for merely sitting and chatting with Trump at the baseball game.
The moment came at the College Football Playoff National Championship in New Orleans, where the actor was seen sitting next to Trump and First Lady Melania.
The three appeared deep in conversation at the time, and their exchange ended with Vaughn and Trump warmly shaking hands.
Vaughn has not publicly stated his support for Trump, but was seen schmoozing with Trump insiders at his inauguration ball in January. The day before the inauguration, Vaughn was also pictured with Tucker Carlson.
He has not yet commented on his picture with Trump on Friday, which reportedly came after he attended a prayer service at the U.S. Capitol.
Reverend Patrick Mahoney, the Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, also took to X to share a selfie with Vaughn from Friday, saying the actor was with me at the US Capitol before he crashed the White House with President Trump… Just sayin.’
Some viewers poked fun at Vaughn’s picture with Trump and linked it to his 2005 blockbuster hit Wedding Crashers
Vaughn was sharply criticized in 2020 when he was seen shaking Trump’s hand at a baseball game
After some criticized Vaughn for his interaction with Trump at the baseball game, he defended the move and said it did not imply an endorsement of Trump or his policies.
‘In my career I’ve met a lot of politicians who I’ve always been cordial to; I’ve met Nancy Pelosi and was cordial to her as well,’ he said of the Democratic Speaker of the House, to the LA Times.
As evidence, Vaughn added that he greeted the Democratic strategist James Carville, who had a cameo in Wedding Crashers, at the same game.
‘It was the only time I’ve ever met him. We said hello. He was very personable,’ he said, adding with a laugh, ‘I didn’t get into policies.’
The True Detective star continued, ascribing much of the outrage to a minority of people online.
Reverend Patrick Mahoney, the Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, also took to X to share a selfie with Vaughn from Friday, saying the actor was with me at the US Capitol before he crashed the White House with President Trump… just sayin’
The day before the inauguration, Vaughn was also pictured (right) with Tucker Carlson
Some fans shared surprise to find out Vaughn would be seen with Trump, despite the actor previously showing support at one of the president’s celebratory inauguration balls in January (pictured with Rep. Nancy Mace)
‘I think people are more charged than ever about these things,’ he continued. ‘But I don’t think most people take that stuff as seriously as the small percentage that’s making noise about it.
‘I was raised with the idea that you could have different likes and beliefs and you should respect and defend that in other people, not shout it down.
‘The people you disagree with the most, you should stand up for their right to do that.’
In remarks to the New York Times in 2023, Vaughn explained that his views veer toward libertarianism.
‘I definitely am a believer more in allowing individuals to make choices. So I think that drugs should be legal and people should have guns. But I realized that you have different cultures that would feel strongly,’ he said.
‘I’d rather say let people make their choices, and they can make different choices and have the consequences of their choices.’
