Julie Andrews Made Her Feelings About Donald Trump Crystal Clear (But Kept It Classy)
Whether you know her as Maria in "The Sound of Music," Queen Clarisse in "The Princess Diaries" films, or the voice of Lady Whistledown in the "Bridgerton" series, Julie Andrews has played iconic women throughout her career. She's an icon herself, and she once referenced another character she played while giving her two cents on Donald Trump with a subtle, yet classy, dig.
At a 2019 appearance at the Southbank Centre music hall in London, Andrews was asked if her character Mary Poppins (from the Disney movie of the same name) would have affected the man Trump became if she had been his nanny. She said, "Oh, Mary Poppins would have shaped him up. God knows, if only we had the chance to try" (via Independent).
The fictional Poppins was known for turning misbehaving children into respectable, well-behaved individuals — with some magic along the way (although the film included a few things only adults will notice). If the mystical nanny had been there to influence the transformation of Trump, things would likely be very different in America's political sphere. However, Andrews wasn't always so critical of Trump.
Andrews praised Trump at an event before his presidency
In 2012, prior to his presidential term, Andrews and Trump were both honorees at professional pianist Lola Astanova's "A Tribute to Horowitz" benefit at Carnegie Hall. They were both given Lifetime Achievement Awards for their work with the American Cancer Society, the organization that the event was for. However, during a phone interview with The New York Times, Trump didn't express much reverence for classical music: "I did it out of respect for Julie and out of great respect for the American Cancer Society. It's all about people watching and people talking. You may not have called if these various things were not taking place."
A clip uploaded to YouTube by an attendee of the event showed part of Trump introducing Andrews before she gave a speech, and he had kind words to share for her: "An unbelievable stage actress, singer, author, Dame Julie Andrews, fantastic woman!" They hugged as she walked onto the stage for her award, and Andrews thanked Trump and began her speech with a joke. She quipped, "This is the second time that we have had the opportunity to be at an event on behalf of the American Cancer Society. I guess it means that he hasn't fired me yet." The actor and singer gave Trump a shout-out for his work with the American Cancer Society. However, her opinion on him seemed to change after his political career took off.
Andrews voiced disapproval about Trump
Donald Trump made two major choices during his first year as president in 2017 that Julie Andrews wasn't pleased with. First, Trump wanted to cut the federal budget allotted for the National Endowment for the Arts and similar organizations — a decision that ultimately failed, even though he tried every year of his presidency.
In a 2017 op-ed published by CNN, Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton explained the importance of the arts and their long-term benefits. The mother-daughter duo mentioned the desired budget cuts and added, "And poor, inner-city and rural communities, whose access to such resources are scarce to begin with, will shoulder a disproportionate share of those losses. This is mind-boggling to us, considering how much the arts benefit our lives and our world." Andrews and Hamilton included a call to action in the opinion piece, imploring readers (and everyone, including politicians) to "advocate for and support the arts" everywhere.
Later that same year, Andrews shared a now-deleted post on Facebook criticizing Trump for removing the U.S. from the Paris Agreement for helping combat climate change. In it, she wrote, "We've been given stewardship of this magnificent planet ... shouldn't we all share the responsibility for its protection and preservation?" (via The Hill). When President Joe Biden was elected, he reversed Trump's decision and brought the U.S. into the Paris Agreement again.