TORONTO (AP) — Liam Neeson’s latest film takes viewers into the life of a key player in the Watergate scandal, and he says there are clear parallels between presidents then-and-now.
Neeson plays the high-ranking FBI official who was a key source for Washington Post stories that helped lead to President Richard Nixon’s downfall in “Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House .” Felt was the No. 2 official at the FBI and his identity as the source known as Deep Throat was unknown until 2005.
Neeson told The Associated Press that he sees similarities between Nixon’s distrust of critics and President Donald Trump’s actions.
“Nixon felt: let’s circle the wagons. Everybody was an enemy that wasn’t on his side. We’re certainly seeing that with President Twitter in Chief. If you’re not with me, you’re against me,” the actor told The Associated Press in a recent interview.
Trump’s administration and several of the president’s allies are entangled in investigations into whether the billionaire’s campaign sought help from Russian operative during last year’s presidential campaign. Among those investigating is former FBI director Robert Mueller, who has been appointed a special counsel to investigate several facets of the campaign and Trump’s associates. Mueller was appointed in May to investigate potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign and his team has sought a broad batch of records and interviews with current and former White House officials. The exact scope of his investigation is unknown.
Neeson said he expects Mueller’s probe will be successful.
“I do think the truth is going to come out,” Neeson said. “I think it will be Robert Mueller. He’ll just keep chipping away.”
“Mark Felt” is out in limited release on Friday.