What did Jeff Daniels say? Actor seemingly criticizes Donald Trump as he bemoans Kamala Harris’ loss

American actor, playwright, and musician Jeff Daniels recently appeared on MSNBC anchor Nicolle Wallace’s podcast, The Best People, released on YouTube on July 21, 2025.

Daniels criticized the Republican Party’s new leadership, describing it as a “collapse,” without initially name-dropping Donald Trump. Additionally, he mentioned that Kamala Harris could have been a “good choice” as the POTUS if she had won the 2024 election.

Sharing that former U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s conservative party is a “distant past,” The Purple Rose of Cairo actor claimed:

“We’ve lost decency, we’ve lost civility, we’ve lost respect for the rule of law. Lost it… We’ve normalized verbal abuse on the internet. We’ve normalized bullying, much as the woke generation tried to change that... It’s back. And along, out the window goes character, integrity.”

Daniels also mentioned that he continues to “think” about Kamala Harris, who could have followed in the footsteps of late President Abraham Lincoln and assembled a “team of rivals” in her cabinet, including perhaps appointing Republican Rep. Liz Cheney as the Secretary of State.

“I think she [Harris] would’ve been a good choice — I don’t care what they say," Jeff Daniels noted.

As of writing, neither Kamala Harris nor Donald Trump has responded to The Newsroom actor’s latest remarks.

---

Exploring further Jeff Daniels’ comments on the current political scenario of the USA

During his recent conversation with Nicole Wallace, Jeff Daniels claimed that “nobody has great things to say about politicians” anymore. He voiced his disdain for fellow Americans, saying they should have “ideally” elected “the best of us, not the worst of us.”

“He’s everything that’s wrong, with not just America, but with being a human being,” Daniels added, seemingly about Trump.

Jeff Daniels continued by saying that if Kamala Harris were elected, the country would have seen a “new America” that is “diverse and treats everyone with equality and respect and dignity.” The actor noted, “You know, kind of like Jesus did, we’re ready for that.”

Daniels denounced Trump’s tariffs and claimed his policies might be a “breaking point” for future voters.

“You just got to go, ‘Wait a minute, the grocery bill is what? One hundred and eighty bucks more? I can’t get that car that we have to have unless I pay another eight grand. Who do I blame for that? Who did I see about that?” Daniels asked his rhetorical question, before answering, “One person.”

When Nicole Wallace asked if the last election was “ever about” lowering the price of eggs, Jeff Daniels replied it would be about their price at the “end of the day.”

“Did it go up or down? Because that’s what he told me he was going to lower the price of eggs or my grocery bill. I think that still matters,” he added.

Elsewhere, Jeff indirectly called Trump a “snake oil salesman,” and hoped that “people will see that.” The Steve Jobs actor also condemned other GOP leaders, including Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, for reportedly paving the way for Trump.

---

This is not the first time Jeff Daniels has spoken against Donald Trump. In October 2020, he released a song titled Trumpty Dumpty Blues where the lyrics dealt with the POTUS’ response to the threats of COVID-19.

At the time, the song was released on Jeff’s website and was later sent to Trump directly, as per THR reports. It was Daniels' response to the politician’s tweet about his character James Comey, the FBI Director in the Showtime series, The Comey Rule.

“So when will something significant happen to James Comey? Got caught cold. He is either very dumb or one of the worst liars in political history. Too Long. Embarrassing!” Donald Trump tweeted at the time.

Jeff Daniels replied,

“Something significant did happen to him, Mr. President. He’s in Showtime’s top multi-platform debut ever. You can watch it On Demand. In the meantime, feel free to sing along to ‘Trumpty Dumpty Blues.’”

Other than sending the parodical song, Daniels also showed his support for Joe Biden for the 2020 election. Before that, in 2019, he claimed that it would be “the end of democracy” if Trump were re-elected.

Edited by Tiasha