Actor Matthew McConaughey fuels speculation about possible 2028 US presidential run

Actor Matthew McConaughey has reignited speculation about a possible presidential bid in 2028 after urging political independents to play a greater role in American politics ahead of the November midterm elections.

In a six-minute video released on Sunday, the Dallas Buyers Club star argued that independent candidates deserved a place in the political contest and should be taken seriously as potential winners rather than dismissed as protest candidates.

“Independent does not mean you’re middle of the road. Independent is the original road. Before there was ever a Republican or Democrat, there was an American,” he told his 2.8 million followers on X.

According to The Telegraph, McConaughey, who lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and children, has long been linked to speculation about a possible political career. In 2021, he considered running for Texas governor but later decided he was not ready.

The Oscar-winning actor has neither confirmed nor ruled out a presidential campaign in 2028. In the latest video, he said his message was not about his own ambitions but about the political contest ahead. He did not endorse any candidate or party, saying he wanted to support “fairness and reality”.

“Independents belong in the fight. Not as a protest, not as a spoiler, but as a real and potential winner on the ballot and considered seriously by us,” he said.

His remarks prompted political commentators to suggest that he could be laying the groundwork for an independent presidential campaign in 2028.

Adam Wren of Politico’s Playbook podcast said on Monday that McConaughey’s emphasis on independent candidates had led many viewers to speculate that he might be considering such a run.

Conservative political influencer Link Lauren, however, criticised the actor’s apparent intentions, warning that a presidential campaign would expose him to intense political scrutiny.

Some left-leaning supporters also questioned his approach, arguing that independent candidates could split the vote at a time when Democrats are seeking to gain control of Congress in the midterm elections.

McConaughey said he was frustrated by the perception that independent candidates represented only political fringes.

A Gallup poll in January found that a record 45% of Americans identified as political independents in 2025, compared with 27% each for Democrats and Republicans. A CNN poll in June put the share of independents at 47%, a 10% increase since Donald Trump’s first term, according to the report.

Independent voters have leaned towards Democrats in four of the five presidential and congressional election cycles between 2016 and 2024.

McConaughey argued that the potential strength of independent candidates remained unclear because voters had not been offered a fully independent political movement with adequate organisation and funding.

“The truth of it is, we don’t know how many independents would vote for a true independent, organised, funded, owned by neither side, because no one has ever given us one,” he said.

He also suggested that even a small number of independent lawmakers could wield significant influence in a closely divided Congress by acting as a check on both major parties and encouraging compromise over what he described as extreme, populist policies.

“I’m not telling you who to vote for,” he said. “I’m telling you to look at your ballot, study up, see if they represent you, what you believe in.”

McConaughey has previously spoken about the possibility of entering public office. At the National Governors Association’s summer meeting in July 2024, he described his activities as a “learning tour” while continuing to consider a political future.

In an interview in September, he reflected on his decision not to launch a campaign in 2022, describing it as “a path I am choosing not to take at this moment”.

He left the possibility of a future run open when asked whether he might eventually seek office, smiling as he replied: “Not yet”.