In The Know

Sean Penn: Trump can win the White House again if voters are ‘too cynical’

Sean Penn speaks at the press conference for the film 'Superpower' during the International Film Festival 'Berlinale', in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

Sean Penn says the way former President Trump can win the 2024 White House race is if voters either don’t “give two shits” or are “too cynical.”

“Let’s say one believes it would be awful, embarrassing, dangerous, numbing, stupefying, unloving of our children to elect Donald Trump president,” Penn said in an interview with Variety published Wednesday.

“That’s not the worst news because for that to happen, a lot of people didn’t vote, give two shits, or they were too cynical,” the Academy Award winner said.

“They [are the people who say], ‘Those guys just want power,’ while themselves doing nothing for the world,” said the 63-year-old “Milk” actor — promoting his Paramount+ documentary “Superpower” about Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and the country’s fight against the Russian invasion.

“Far be it for me to speculate who’s going to win the presidential election or even who’s going to be in it,” Penn said in response to a question from the publication about how Ukraine’s future could be impacted by the outcome of the 2024 race.


“We know what the conversations are and the likelihoods are about all of that,” he said.

The activist and founder of the nonprofit CORE also weighed in on Trump’s mug shot that was taken last month during the 45th president’s surrender at the Fulton County, Ga., Jail after his fourth criminal indictment of the year.

“Angry, used car salesman,” Penn, who attended last year’s hearing of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, said of the now-famed snapshot.

“Failed magician in Vegas,” Penn added.