Over the weekend, Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight took to Twitter in a rare move to show his support for U.S. President Donald Trump, yet again.
Voight, 80, has proved himself to be a longtime supporter of Trump’s. Not only did he attend the 2017 presidential inauguration but he recently commended Trump as the “greatest president since Abraham Lincoln.”
The Deliverance star’s “Message to America,” surfaced to the public on Sunday afternoon following the tragic events of two mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, which took place within 24 hours of each other.
Between the two attacks, 31 lives were lost and 51 additional victims were injured.
Many have since suggested Trump’s controversial rhetoric on race and immigration were partly responsible for the shootings, including El Paso native and current 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke.
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“You know the s— he’s been saying,” he told a reporter. “He’s been calling Mexican immigrants racists and criminals.”
O’Rourke’s speech inspired backlash against the president, with others calling him out for his consistent inaction on implementing gun control in the U.S.
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In response to this backlash, Voight boldly claimed in his video that racism had “been solved long ago by our forefathers.”
“Let us vote for this country’s safety,” he added in an attempt to persuade his fans to vote for Trump in the upcoming election.
READ MORE: Jon Voight calls Donald Trump the ‘greatest president’ since Abraham Lincoln
“May all the angered left find truth, what truth stands for,” he concluded in the video. “God. Love. Liberty. Justice… for all. God bless.”
“Well said, Jon,” a Twitter follower wrote in response to Voight’s video. “God bless you, sir. God bless America and Donald J. Trump.”
It wasn’t all positive reception for Voight’s message, however. While a large number supported the veteran actor’s speech, there was a clear divide as many others were shocked by his remarks.
Here’s what some Twitter users had to say in response:
“I have African-American friends who don’t believe racism was solved long ago,” tweeted another user sarcastically. “Could you please let me know the date when you claim it was solved so I can assure them they are wrong?”
— With files from Kerri Breen