‘It is morning in America again’: What are James Woods’ politics?

Some celebrities make their political beliefs obvious, endorsing candidates in local and federal elections and sharing what’s on their mind and hearts. Others prefer to keep their views close to their chest. No matter how stars vote, one thing is certain: everyone is eager to learn who they support.

One such celebrity is James Woods, who said his Pacific Palisades home was ruined in the recent devastating wildfire. He has had a varied career that includes starring in David Cronenberg’s beloved body horror film Videodrome, voicing the main character in Hercules, and movies ranging from the coming-of-age drama Riding in Cars with Boys to the dark comedy Pretty Persuasion. While chances are that most people have seen at least one of his movies, people are also curious about his political views. So, let’s talk about what he thinks and how he votes.

Is James Woods a Democrat or Republican?

Woods leans politically conservative, which can be perceived as a liability in Hollywood. The actor shared on The Megyn Kelly Show on SiriusXM that he didn’t speak publicly about his role as a producer on Oppenheimer, or being part of the beloved movie in any way, shape, or form. He bought the rights to Martin J. Sherwin and Kai Bird’s book, American Prometheus, which the movie was adapted from. However, as he explained, “There was a discussion about my Twitter, and it was gently suggested that I basically remain invisible, which was painful.”

Woods said he agreed not to say anything because he wanted to make sure that people wanted to see Oppenheimer in the movie theaters. He also kept silent due to Oscar voters. He said the awards show is “very important to films because it helps with the financial reward and historical archive in which it rests forever” and “I don’t want to deprive those people.”

So, if your political beliefs are so harsh that some think it would harm the success of a movie, maybe it’s time to rethink some things. It’s worth nothing, however, that while Woods is conservative, he did endorse Jonathan Hatami, a moderate Democrat, in Los Angeles County in 2024.

Woods is not only conservative, though: he’s a big fan of Donald Trump. Case in point: his X post on Nov. 6, 2024 after Trump’s (still hard to wrap your head around) win. As the actor put it, “It is morning in America again.” Apparently it wasn’t morning before that day! Noted. Well, some stars make fun of Trump and others tend to shower him with love and praise.

According to The Wrap, Woods is so right-wing that his agent told him via email in July 2018 that he would no longer work with him. As the publication pointed out, he also said in Aug. 2017 about Trump, “I’ve never witnessed such hatred for a man who is willing to work for free to make his beloved country a better place. It is pathological.” That’s bad enough, but Woods has also said offensive and homophobic things about Neil Patrick Harris’s son, and Anderson Cooper.

In case anyone was unsure just how much Woods loves Trump, some of his 2020 tweets make it super clear. According to The Hill, he called Trump “rough” and “vain, insensitive, and raw” and added, “But he loves America more than any President in my lifetime.” There are a lot of reasons why that’s debatable, but then we’d be here all day, so let’s leave it at that.