By Gordon Joseloff
Michael Moore, the Academy Award-winning director, tonight told an audience attending the only Connecticut screening of his latest film before its wide release in February that Donald Trump will be the Republican presidential nominee.
Michael Moore chats with guests tonight at Westport’s Vespa restaurant following the screening of his latest film, “Where to Invade Next” at Bowtie Cinemas Royale 6 in Norwalk. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Photo by Chris Greer
“He (Trump) will be the Republican nominee, there is absolutely no doubt about that,” said Moore at a screening of his film “Where to Invade Next” at Bowtie Cinemas Royale 6 in Norwalk. “And don’t, don’t, don’t think that he can’t win. It’s really important to pay attention to this and not just dismiss it any more.”
Moore added: “It was funny for a while. He did performance art. I was enjoying it. But I think now it’s time to pay some serious attention to it because he really knows what he is doing. And he’s really good at it. He’s really pushing a lot of the right buttons for the angry white guys that are out there.”
Moore said 81 percent of the people voting next year are either going to be women, people of color or young adults between the ages of 18 and 35. And they could be the difference in the election.
“That’s 81 percent of the country,” he said. “He’s alienated all three of those groups. So if that side of the political fence shows up to vote, then there won’t be any problem.”
Michael Moore addresses the invitation-only audience tonight following the screening. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Photo by Chris Greer
Moore, a documentary filmmaker, screenwriter, author, journalist, actor, and left-wing political activist, made the comments as he answered questions briefly following the invitation-only screening attended by many Westporters.
Westporter Mark Shapiro, chief content officer of IMG, is an executive producer. Moore and Shapiro later hosted guests at Westport’s Vespa restaurant.
The film, which has won critical acclaim, goes into limited release Wednesday for one week to qualify for the Academy Awards and then goes into wide release in February. More information on the film is available here.
Last week, Moore wrote a letter to Trump, addressing the GOP front-runner’s controversial call to ban all Muslims from entering the United States. The proposal, Moore said, was one made “in desperation and insanity.”
“I was raised to believe that we are all each other’s brother and sister, regardless of race, creed or color,” Moore wrote in a Facebook message. “That means if you want to ban Muslims, you are first going to have to ban me. And everyone else.”
Michael Moore last week posted a photo of himself outside New York’s Trump Tower. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Michael Moore/Facebook.com
“We are all Muslim,” he continued. “Just as we are all Mexican, we are all Catholic and Jewish and white and black and every shade in between… If you don’t like living by these American rules, then you need to go to the time-out room in any one of your Towers, sit there, and think about what you’ve said.”
Moore posted his letter to Facebook, along with a photo of himself standing outside Trump Towers with a “We are all Muslim” sign.
