Oscar-winning filmmaker and former child star Ron Howard on Wednesday tweeted that many in Hollywood who have previously worked with President Donald Trump see him as a “self-serving, dishonest, morally bankrupt ego maniac.”
“In the entertainment industry many who have known/worked w/ Trump think that while his reality show was fun and ran a long time, he’s a self-serving, dishonest, morally bankrupt ego maniac who doesn’t care about anything or anyone but his Fame & bank account & is hustling the US,” Howard wrote in response to a question about why the entertainment industry was consistent in its praise for then-President Barack Obama, and now are “only” negative about President Trump and his accomplishments.
The Solo: A Star Wars Story director has lashed out at President Trump before, calling him a “self-serving gas bag” ahead of the 2016 presidential election and has (falsely) predicted that the then-real estate mogul would not be able to handle the rigors of the White House if elected.
In a 2018 tweet, Howard asserted that he knew individuals with a negative view of the Apprentice star due to business deals that went wrong. “I know many who’ve dealt with Trump. In the business community he’s been disrespected for years for being a flashy promoter who is a lousy business operator. He exploits partners, he under-delivers, declares bankruptcy and blames others. Atlantic City, Steaks, Trump U….USA?” the director said at the time.
In October 2018, Howard said federal authorities should investigate President Trump for possible tax evasion after a New York Times article floated the possibility that he may have broken the law.
“I think it has to be explored probably by law enforcement,” the Apollo 13 director told TMZ. “Any time there’s tax fraud, somebody ought to be chasing it down.”
“Anything like that should be explored,” he added. “If where there’s smoke, there’s fire if that turns out to be the case, then certainly we want to know about it.”