Hollywood A-Lister Says He’d Be ‘Arrogant Not To’ Consider Presidential Run

 Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey is acting like he wants to be president.

The “Dazed and Confused” star, who has flirted with a gubernatorial run in his native Texas, told attendees at San Francisco’s Dreamforce conference this week that he would “be arrogant not to” consider a White House run in the future. McConaughey, who has never publicly identified with either major party, did not say what his time frame would be but did not rule out 2024, according to SFGate.com.

“Yeah, I’ll consider it in the future, I’d be arrogant not to, absolutely I would consider it,” said McConaughey, who won an Oscar for his role in “Dallas Buyer’s Club.” “If I got into any form of politics I’d be remiss not to also go in as an artist and a storyteller; help put a narrative together. You’re the CEO of a state and a nation, a lot of compartmentalization and choices to be made. They scare me but I’m not afraid of ’em.”

The annual conference is hosted by tech firm Salesforce and known for attracting celebrity speakers who address Silicon Valley liberals. McConaughey made his remarks in a discussion with Salesforce co-CEO Marc Benioff which covered the school shooting in his hometown of Uvalde and gun control as well as his general political beliefs.

But he said if he were to mount a presidential bid, it would be somewhat reluctantly.

“If that happened to me I would be pulled into it,” McConaughey, 52, said. “If I’m living right, which I’m trying to, we get pulled into things … it’s inevitable. I didn’t choose it, it chose me.”

McConaughey noted the extreme political polarization gripping the nation, but said there is room for someone who can reach out to reasonable folks on both sides.

“There’s definitely a greater divide now than there has been,” the “Failure to Launch” actor said. “One thing is we have to admit that part of that divide is the Kool-Aid we’re being sold. The divide is not as thick as we’re being sold; most of us are much more near the middle than we’re being told.”

McConaughey, who called for more gun control measures in the wake of the May 24 school shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead, said both parties have good points – and big gaps – in their Second Amendment views.

“[To] the Left, this is about regulation, this is about keeping the weapon out of the bad guy’s hand, [to] the Right, this is about mental health, but each one of them would put a period after their argument,” he said. “You’re right, just put a comma after your argument. Both of your arguments are much closer to the solution than each of them independently.”

Despite sounding like a liberal on some issues, McConaughey, his wife Camila, and their three children left Malibu for Texas because the Lone Star State’s values match theirs, Camila said in an April interview with Fox News.

“It’s been great,” the Brazilian model and designer said. “It really embodies our belief system, especially the ones I grew up with, like going to church every Sunday, saying ‘yes ma’am’ or ‘no, sir.’”